


Up That Hill

by Endlessly_Carmen



Series: Up That Hill [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV), Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Book: Breaking Dawn, Crossover, Eventual Romance, F/M, Human to vampire, Other, Slow Burn, The Vampire Diaries Season 1 & onwards, Twilight & Vampire Diaries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:28:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26577586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endlessly_Carmen/pseuds/Endlessly_Carmen
Summary: As I lay in the snow, my body overcome with agony, I though of him. I thought of his blue eyes and his dark hair. How he touched my body, igniting a fire that trailed wherever his hands went. The way his last words to me had hurt me deeper than anything ever had. How I would never see him again... How he would never know that I loved him.The venom spread it's icy tendrils up my arm and I knew I was going to die.
Relationships: Damon/Original Character
Series: Up That Hill [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933162
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

I knew he loved me.

And I knew he loved her.

I just wished he loved me more.

But.

He didn't.

He chose her.

So, here I am alone

Facing my death.

A solitary figure poised in the snow.

The predator closed in.

And I,

I prepared to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a rework of a fic I started when I was 15. The premise of this one is the same but I changed the plot vastly and made my characters a little more dimensional. 
> 
> I started to rewrite it because I was reading Midnight Sun and it just reminded me of how I used to obsess over my story and all the plans I had for it. The main thing I wanted to change was making my main character more of a person and less of something I was forcing into each episode of TVD. 
> 
> This fic is so near to my heart and I am posting it because I would love to share it with y'all. It's not very good but I absolutely love writing it and as the chapters progress I really do feel like it improves in terms of quality and progression. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it.


	2. A Godforsaken Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura Swan is a 26 year old marketing specialist living in Seattle, WA. After making a heartbreaking discovery she decided to go back home to Forks, taking her best friend, Scarlett Weber, with her.

> _We're a wreck, you're the wrecking ball  
>  We said no one else, how could you do this, babe?_
> 
> _Babe - Sugarland ft Taylor Swift_

The tires of the car squealed as I turned another corner. I peeked into the rearview mirror. No one was following me. A feeling of disappointment mingled with the relief that flooded my body. I've never really described myself as a dramatic person. Certainly not someone who publicly throws a scene, screaming angry, searing insults at a man who, only two days ago, I would've described as the love of my life. Yet, today I did just that. I remembered the tears running down my hot face as I roughly shoved him away from me and told him to leave me alone. Was it irrational that I am now saddened and disappointed that he listened? That the lack of pursuit made me feel obsolete?

The embarrassment tingles through my body and up my spine as I thought of the horrific exchange. One that has now changed my entire life. A life I painstakingly built for the two of us. Climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder has brought me multiple raises, promotions and fancy offices. I focused on providing an amazing life for me and the love of my life. The only man I've ever been with. I took us on holidays, bought a lovely apartment for us, helped him find his feet when he lost his job... I was so busy living the life I made for us that I never noticed his slow but steady withdrawal from it.

"I've just been struggling with my identity. Who am I without you? That's why I let you go on that trip with Scarlett. I wanted to find out..." Benjamin's words were soft and timid. Whether it was because we were in a public place or whether he found it hard to say I couldn't tell but it sent alarm bells going off in my head.

"Ben, you're scaring me a little," I said, adding a choked laugh at the end in a vain attempt to kwell my apprehensive thoughts. It's not like I didn't know the cliche. Boyfriend acts weird for a few months then asks randomly to meet in a coffee shop. It raised multiple red flags. To be completely honest it wasn't the first and I will be the first to admit that I purposefully ignored them because I didn't want to face the fact that it might all be coming to an end.

"I've been lying to you. I think you deserve better than someone who's not been completely honest with you," he picked his words carefully and looked up to gauge my reaction to them. His green eyes were swirling with a range of emotions. The most notable was sorrow. The words hit me like a truck and I jumped to the worst-case scenario. Pinpricks of pain erupted throughout my body as I anticipated the worst.

"And I think the reason why I've been lying to myself and to you is because I couldn't come to terms with the fact that I am... I'm bisexual..." he finished the confession with a deep breath. As though the words have been clawing at his throat for years. I relaxed a little deciding that this was fine. I could handle this.

I stare at him intently. He stared back with searching eyes trying to figure out what I was thinking. A hand reached over and grabbed mine tightly. I gripped it back. Although I was shocked at the revelation I knew we would be OK. I mostly felt guilt because I could see that this has been bothering him for a while and I never noticed. Not even once had I asked what was bothering him and the shameful tears welled up before I could stop them.

"I'm sorry that I never asked you what you wanted," I whisper, avoiding his eyes. I knew mine was soon going to overflow with hot salty tears. I watched as he shook his head and he pressed my hand to his mouth. The dam broke and the tears started running down my face, burning as they went.

"I'm not done," his voice cracked letting his tears fall freely as well. "When you were gone with Scarlett I went to a gay bar. I wanted to know that what I was feeling was normal. I wanted to see what it was like to be my authentic self and not live in denial any more. I met someone there. We..." he broke off as his tears finally overcame him. The pinpricks of pain that had faded started morphing into harsh stabs of agony. Fury quickly replaced the guilt I had felt earlier.

"You what?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm. I took my hand from his and balled it into a fist letting it come to rest on the table. He looked at me with guilt and shame written all over his face. He couldn't even say it. "You, Benjamin Walters, are a coward," I hissed, "You betray me in the worst way possible and you can't even say it," the words fall out of my mouth like bombs. He flinched as each one hit.

"I gave everything to you. I spent years making sure you had the life you deserved. A life where, if you wanted to, you didn't have to lift a goddamn finger! I left my family to move here with you," I realised I was raising my voice but the anger hushed the part of me not wanting to cause a scene. "Just for you to go fuck someone else like it all meant nothing! Like I mean nothing!" I got up grabbing my coat. I was reeling with rage and grief. The betrayal already sat like a boulder in my chest. He got up too, desperately trying to explain.

"Laura, I'm so unbelievably sorry I have no excuse-" he tried to take my hand in his but I yanked it away. My blood boiled.

"IF YOU HAD JUST TALKED TO ME LIKE A FUCKING MAN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO SAY SORRY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The cafe went silent. He went silent and dropped my arm. He looked at me in shock. The embarrassment and anger came to sit in two red spots on my cheeks.

"You had every chance to come out to me before you cheated. I would've given you unconditional support. Even if it meant you had to leave me!" I seethed. "You didn't have to cheat on me but you did. You ruined everything." I choked, finally overcome by misery.

He just looked at me shame radiating out of him in agonising rays. I know I hurt him but I also knew that what was left of our relationship was unsalvageable and it was entirely his fault.

I stomped on the brakes. The tears blocked my vision. I sobbed and rested my head against the steering wheel. Cars hooted and sped around me, the drivers flipping me off. I couldn't get the look of dejection on his face out of my mind. His sorrow pricked at my angry shell trying to make me feel ashamed for my behaviour. Why did I do this? Why did I feel bad for being angry at him?

"He cheated on me!" I exclaimed. I had every right to be angry at him. Anger was a very suitable and normal response and yet I feel shame and guilt colouring the sentiment. I shook my head and gently guided my car to my empty apartment.

As I made my way up the stairs exhaustion crept into my limbs. I opened the door and hesitated on the sill. What am I going to do? How am I supposed to start over without him? Ben shaped me. We grew up together. We ran away to Seattle together. He convinced me we needed something more. Something more exciting than Forks. I wanted to start my own thing there. I wanted to stay with my dad. I sighed deeply, dropping my things on the counter. Why did I get so carried away? How did I let him decide what I wanted? Did I even want to live in this city? Doing this Job?

I stumbled to the room as I pondered my descent into this domestic facade. I unexpectedly, for the first time since I can remember, felt the exhaustion of this life pull at my eyelids. I drug my feet to the bed and fell into it letting the lavender-scented linen lull me into a fitful sleep.

The sound of knocking pulled me harshly into consciousness. I rubbed my eyes glancing irritably at the clock next to my bed. I do a double-take. It's 9 am.

Fuck.

I frantically leapt from the bed and rushed to the door where the person behind it had started to sing Hello by Lionel Richie in a broken and fragmented soprano.

"Cause I wonder where you are and I wonder what you dooooo," the somewhat muffled voice rang through the door. I struggled with the locks and opened the door to my best friend. Scarlett Weber stopped singing and pushed me aside to enter the apartment. I rub my eyes irritably. What a way to wake up.

"Sorry about that, I got carried away," she said airily, placing the two coffees she brought on the kitchen counter. She made her way to the kitchen and the light illuminated her round friendly face. She pulled out a carton of milk to add a few dollops to her store-bought coffee. She didn't like how strong they made it. I'd gotten into the habit of asking for extra milk when I bought us coffee.

"Listen," she continued, "If you want to skip out at work that's fine just let me know beforehand," she said while pouring a little coffee out to make room for the milk. Scarlett never left me behind for anything. We did everything together.

"I wasn't planning on it," I yawned and sat down at the counter to start nursing my coffee. The reality of what happened yesterday itched like a mosquito bite. Incessantly and agonisingly. I sighed and caught her looking at me. She was worried. The lines of her face etched into a gentle frown.

"I took a nap when I got home yesterday. I guess I was more tired than I thought," I said jokingly. When she didn't say anything I looked down. I knew I had to tell her what happened. She was as integral in my life as Benjamin was, in many ways, Benjamin's best friend too. A thought occurred to me then. I wondered if she knew about Benjamin's struggle with his sexuality? He might have asked her for advice. Scarlett was gay and would've given him her unconditional support. I was sure she didn't know about the infidelity. She would've told me if she did.

"Did you know that Benjamin is bisexual?" I asked softly but not accusingly. Her shoulders sagged and she looked devastated. She walked around the counter and put an arm around my shoulders.

"I knew he was having trouble coming to terms with his sexuality but I didn't know the details. I'm so sorry Laura. I should've told you... I just didn't want to betray his trust. It's such a delicate thing, you know and looked so lost and scared. He begged me not to tell you until he could figure it out himself," she murmured into my dark hair. I closed my eyes and his devastated face sprang out at me. If only that was all. Sexuality wasn't a choice. But he did have a choice when he decided to cheat on me. And that is unforgivable.

"Did you know that he cheated on me?" I asked barely concealing my anger. She stiffened and slowly looked at me. Her normally kind face was red with indignation. My eyes filled with tears of relief and despair.

"You're kidding right?" she whispered fiercely. "This is not funny if you are."

I shook my head letting a pathetic sob escape my lips. I realise I must look a mess. I barely got my shoes off when I went to bed. I wiped my face and it came away black and splotchy. I hiccuped and looked at my mascara covered hand. I heard Scarlett sigh. Her footsteps retreated and shortly after I heard a bath running. A gentle hand took mine and led me to a steamy, lavender-scented bath. Lavender is supposed to be a calming scent. I don't think I'll ever be able to smell it without thinking about Benjamin.

I spent 30 minutes in the bath with Scarlett silently keeping me company. Since high school we never needed conversation. Most things were left unsaid in our friendship but everything was always understood. Occasionally she would pat my head in what I knew was her way of saying she was there for me.

Myself, Benjamin and Scarlett used to be inseparable. We've known each other our whole lives. First loves, college, heartbreak, we went through everything together. When Benjamin and I started going out nothing changed. We all loved each other so much. It's strange to think that all of that is over. I never even considered the possibility. Silent tears coursed down my face in rivulets.

Scarlett wrapped me in my robe and we settled in for the day. She reminded me to take leave at work and I called my boss. He didn't ask a lot of questions. Sometimes the cold corporate world has its benefits. I didn't think I would be able to explain what happened without crying. How pathetic.

"D'you know what would be amazing right now?" I asked later in the day while she was painting my toenails. Her dark hair was pulled up in a loose bun that leant precariously when she moved her head. It wiggled when she shook her head.

"Take out from the café back home," I said thinking about the grimy, homey restaurant in Forks. It was only a five-minute walk from my dad's place. I really missed the greasy smell and the friendly waiters. My dad and I used to go there every Saturday. He would always get the same thing. Medium steak with a jacket potato side and sour cream. I used to visit more but work kept me so busy I rarely got to go back. I even missed Bella's wedding. I frowned. I haven't even met the guy she married. I knew his surname was Cullen but not much else. I think dad mentioned that he wasn't a big fan... I froze. How did I let this happen?

"Woah, you got that right," Scarlett replied snorting. "If you want your nails to look ok you're gonna have to sit still you know," she ordered not looking at me. I laughed absentmindedly. An idea was forming in my head.

"Scar..." I said sweetly. She immediately looked up in suspicion. I smiled and batted my eyelashes. "What if we go to Forks for the week?" I finished smiling broadly.

"Hm," her face fell and she looked down. I immediately felt bad. She left the love of her life in Forks and has never gone back in fear of running into her. It has been 6 years but she has never truly gotten over it. Natasha's fear of her own sexuality brought their relationship to a rocky end. I immediately backtracked.

"Oh Scar, I'm so sorry. I didn't think," I exclaimed and sank to my knees to gather her in my arms. She shrugged and pulled away. A forced look of indifference was plastered on her face. It only lasted for a second before a more defiant expression took its place. I watched her process the request, hoping she doesn't say yes for my sake.

"No," she said crossly, "I can't do this anymore. I can't pine after her forever. I am happy now! I have an amazing job and I live in an amazing city. I have to face that place at some point. I can't have her rule my life. I haven't seen Angela or the twins in actual years!" she exclaimed incredulously. "How could I have let a person dictate my choices like that?" she asked hysterically, her face finally crumbling into tears. I rubbed her back silently letting her cry like she let me cry. We both had let a person control our lives for years without even realising it.

"Are you sure?" I asked her holding her by the shoulders and looking at her intently. She nodded and laughed weakly. To think that one person could affect such a strong individual this intensely and this long. I wonder how long Benjamin's betrayal will affect me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first Chapter is a short one but it get's the story rolling. Hope you guys stick around to read the next one to find out what waits for Laura in Forks!


	3. Homestretch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura finds her father sick with worry for her sister, Bella. After making a call to the Cullens, Laura races to her sister's side to find her undeniably different. Despite the secrets and lies, Laura finds herself falling in love with Bella's chosen family and they help her in more ways she could ever repay.

> _But the wolves came and we're still standing  
>  Bones – Maren Morris ft Hozier_

Forks was overcast and dreary when we entered the town limits. After we decided to indeed go back home it took no time to let our boss know, pack my bag, go to Scar's place and pack hers. I turned into my street looking for any changes and finding barely any. The sky was just about to darken and the streetlights blinked to life. The coziness of a small town compares to little. I poked Scarlett. She fell asleep about halfway to Forks and was snoring loudly. I was glad for the Taylor Swift CD I had in my car.

"Some things never change," she mumbled groggily. I nodded and pulled up into my dad's driveway. We decided to go see Scarlett's family in the morning because she was nervous about seeing them after not coming home in so long. I sat in the car for a minute. The house looked the same. It sat overlooking the street as if chiding me for not coming home in so long. I gulped suddenly nervous about my dad's reaction. I don't know why I was nervous because my dad was generally easy going. It's just that when I left the last time I was here, we left it on bad terms.

I was visiting because he asked me to. He was desperately trying to get Bella out of an intense depressive episode. The Edward guy had left her. It was rough seeing her like that and I'm not sure that she even knew I was there. I left quickly after arriving. Only a few days. I told Charlie that there was nothing to be done. She'll get better on her own. The truth was that I had no idea what to do and I was scared. I was completely and utterly selfish because I was only thinking about myself. What if me and Benjamin broke up and my heart shattered? What if I lost everything when I lost him? That was way before I even started noticing his withdrawal. Charlie saw right through me and he ended up scolding me like a child for not supporting my sister.

A curtain twitched in the kitchen window and I knew it was time to face the music. Scarlett threw me an encouraging look and we stepped out of the car together, bundling up against the cold. My middle aged, stocky dad stepped out to meet us with an incredulous smile on his exhausted face.

"Laura?" he asked as he bounded towards me with long strides. He embraced me and we held each other for a long while.

"What on god's green earth are you doing here?" he asked his voice muffled in my hair. I chuckled, patting his back. Pulling away, I examined his face. My nervousness immediately morphed to concern. He looked so much older and his face had deep lines of worry etched into it. His brown eyes were downcast but were lightening at the sight of his eldest daughter standing in front of him.

"Not important," I say a little hurriedly, "Are you ok dad? You look exhausted!" I say casting a worried look over my shoulder to Scarlett. She was biting her lip, a frown furrowing her brow. Charlie also glanced over my shoulder, ignoring my question completely and exclaimed in joy at the sight of Scarlett. They embraced while I waited for a reply. He was avoiding the question. After the hug ended he turned to me.

"Let's get your things inside and we'll talk about it," he said compromisingly. I agreed and after we settled everything in the small bedroom that had once been mine and then Bella's we gathered at the kitchen table. Charlie started fussing over dinner and I quickly suggested take out. I was worried sick. I can't believe I've been so caught up at work that I haven't called in months. My dad sighed deeply and sat down heavily. He rubbed his hands over his tired face and started fidgeting with a splinter in the table.

"I wasn't under the impression that I looked as bad as I felt but I can always count on you to be honest, Laura," he chuckled halfheartedly. I smile feebly. The shame was blooming like a massive wine stain in my chest getting more and more unbearable. He patted my hand soothingly.

"Well as you know Bella got married a month or so ago," he said gruffly clearly not happy with the state of affairs. I nodded encouragingly, words having failed me temporarily. He cleared his throat, "Well, I haven't seen her since then and her husband tells me she's sick with some tropical fever... She picked it up on their honeymoon. He says she's so sick I can't visit her and apparently she's too weak to speak. I call almost everyday but I get Alice every time." he rushed everything out. Like he hasn't told anyone about it. Colour was blooming in his face in unmistakable anger and frustration. Tears welled up in his eyes and Scarlett quickly offered a tissue.

What the hell? What kind of tropical fever lasts a month? I started to gather all the info I had on tropical fever. I didn't have much. I know that tropical places had issues with malaria and other frightening diseases. I guess Malaria could be affecting Bella longer than a normal fever would. It all seemed a bit weird as well that her in laws wouldn't let my dad visit her. He was her father, for God's sake!

"She's so sick she can't answer the phone? That's bullshit," I said, frowning. I gently patted his hand. "I think we should be able to see her at least. I doubt that she wouldn't even want to speak to you." I mused. He shook his head and shrugged.

"I've tried everything. I even tried threatening them with a lawyer but I guess they knew I was bluffing," he said defeated.

"We're going to go over there and demand to talk to her OK?" I said grasping his hand this time, "I know I haven't stuck around long enough in the past to help out but I promise I will stay until we've found some way to get you to her"

When I got overwhelmed as a teenager I used to try and put aside my emotions and focus on what needs to be done. Over the years I'd gotten worse and worse at trying to control my emotions. But I decided then and there that seeing my dad like this. Frustrated and angry but most of all alone… That I didn't have the luxury to be the emotional one today.

We drove to the cafe because we didn't want to get wet and my dad got what he always got. It was comforting to be in such a familiar place after the weird day I've had. We had a nice time catching up. My dad was disappointed about Ben and gave my head a ruffle like he used to when I was small. I figured returning to Forks was the best idea I've had in awhile. We left feeling full and happy.

Scarlett was quiet but I could tell she was looking forward, whether anxiously or not, to seeing her family tomorrow morning.

We got ready for bed and settled in for the night. Long after our lights turned off and silence had fallen over the house I could hear my Dad calling the Cullen number again only for the call to end shortly after it started. Worry nestled deep in my heart as I went to sleep that night.

I woke up the next morning to a pounding on the door. I groaned wondering when I would be allowed to wake up on my own time. Scarlett covered her face with a pillow and muttered obscenities while the thunderous knocking continued down stairs. I heard my dad open the door. A muffled conversation followed and then the sound of the door closing. I turned over grateful for the silence. Scarlett got up shortly afterwards and I heard her shuffling around in the kitchen. I sighed and sat up. I won't be able to sleep again either.

As soon as I sat up I heard a car door slam and I got up just in time to see my dad's car disappear around the corner. I frowned, maybe there was an emergency at work? There were rarely emergencies big enough to need the Chief of Police in Forks but I guess it happened occasionally.

I stretched and groaned. My head was pounding from the previous day's tears. I shuffled to the shower and took a nice warm shower. The water was almost singeing my skin but it soothed all the worried knots from my shoulders and I got out feeling refreshed. I wiped the fogged up mirror and examined my face.

I looked tired. Dark circles sat beneath my blue eyes. I always liked my eyes. I got them from my mum. A small token of her carefree nature. My nose was pinched like a rat's which had always annoyed me. It was also thrown out of balance by my fuller mouth. I scrunched up my face in the mirror. An effort to stop staring at myself. Once you get started it's hard to stop criticizing yourself. I finished getting ready and joined Scarlett in the kitchen where she was staring intently out of the window. She must be nervous about meeting her family in a few hours. I patted her back and she was brought out from her reverie.

"Oh, hi," she said, her bright tone a little forced. I smiled and went to pour myself some coffee.

"Are you nervous about today?" I asked and took a seat at the table. The chair creaked loudly.

"Yes, extremely," she sighed and sat down, "I just don't want to face them and tell them the reason why I never visited. You know I never even told my mum what happened with me and Natasha?" she added tiredly. I had guessed she didn't sleep well last night. Every time I turned to her I saw her phone flashlight lighting up one of Bella's books.

"Scar, you definitely have nothing to worry about. They love you and they'll appreciate the visit," I tried to sound comforting without having my own anxiety creep into my voice. She smiled gratefully and took a deep swig of her coffee. We sat in silence for a little while nursing our coffee.

"Did you see who my dad was talking to?" I asked as I got up to wash our cups.

"No, I didn't but I did see him rushing to his car," Scarlett shrugged, "I guessed it was an emergency for work."

"Yeah I guessed so too," I said. Scarlett went upstairs to get ready and I decided to watch a bit of TV while she bustled around up stairs. I wondered about how to approach the situation with my sister. My dad said he hasn't heard from her since she got back from her honeymoon. I wonder where it was. I tapped my chin thinking of tropical places Bella would go to. She did like hot places. Dad told me how she missed Arizona when she first arrived. Hmm. I'll have to ask my dad when he comes back.

Scarlett came down the stairs just then with her handbag over her shoulder. She took a deep breath in front of the mirror in the hall. Even though I knew her family would forgive her I knew the thoughts that were going through her head. Uncertainty, fear and hope. I got up and gave her a tight hug. They won't resent her for the choices she made.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" I asked knowing that she'll say no. She had said in the car that she wanted to talk to them alone, which I get. I just hated seeing her so upset. Her eyes were red and puffy. She'd definitely cried before coming down the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she sniffed and gave me another hug before she left. She waved halfheartedly before getting into my car, she was borrowing it for the day. I watched her leave standing on the porch.

Today wasn't as cold so I decided to spend a little time outside. I went inside to grab another coffee and a blanket and sat cross legged in the backyard. Warmer days always came with a better mood for me. I didn't mind the rain and gloom but you can only take so much. I sat there for a while trying to figure out the tentative situation regarding my sister. I wondered what was taking my dad so long. I was anxious to go over there. After a while sitting in the sun made me restless and I sighed. I'd have to get up

I went back inside and decided the best place to start was to call the Cullens. I had to make sure they were home before we barged in. I found Charlie's contact book open on the table under the old land line. It was open to the right page.

Alice Cullen was the contact he had written down. Looked like a cell number. I decided to use my own cell phone to make sure they didn't know who was calling and entered the number. I hesitated before I dialled. In my mind Bella was just a little sick and her new family a bit over protective. After I make this call it could make my worst fears a reality. I took a deep breath and dialled Alice Cullen's number.

It rang two times before a wind chime voice answered.

" _Hi, this is Alice,"_ she answered and before I could talk she started talking again, " _Listen Laura, I think it's best if you just come to our house. Everything has been sorted out with Charlie."_ She continued to give me the address with directions. I wrote it down a bit dumbstruck.

"Oh, um ok. How-" I started asking and she interrupted me, " _Don't worry about that. Just come over already,_ " she laughed merrily.

"So, my dad is there?"I asked.

" _Yeah he's watching football with Emmet,"_ she said vaguely as if she was lost in thought

"Ok I'll be over soon," I hurriedly hung up without saying goodbye. As freaked out as I was with her knowing who I was and what I was going to ask I didn't have a lot of time to ponder it. If Bella is ok I am going to see her right now. I grabbed the keys of her old truck and hurried outside. I ripped the tarp of the old dinosaur and got in.

"Come now old man,"I mumbled as I coaxed the car to start. It roared to life and I laughed triumphantly. I held the note with the address on it in my hand as I drove. I found that I didn't have any trouble following the directions Alice had given me and I was glad that even after a long time away I still knew Forks pretty well. When I finally saw the unmarked dirt road off the highway, I was relieved. For some reason I had started thinking it might be a ruse about 5 minutes into the drive.

"Jesus," I whispered under my breath when the long winding road opened up into a small clearing serving as a yard. A massive white house stood on the perfect lawn looking like it fell out of the sky. I sat in the car looking at it in awe for a second before turning the key and getting out of the car. It had behaved well on the highway. I patted the hood.

I was stalling. The house stood as a stark reminder of how little I knew about my family. It looks like my sister had married into a rich mysterious family with a sister in law that had a nice voice. That's all I could gather so far. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and marched up to the front door. I knocked three times nervously pulling at my shirt. At least I looked ok. A t-shirt and jeans sounds like an ok outfit to meet my sister's in-laws for the first time.

No footsteps preceded the opening of the door. It just abruptly swung open after I stopped knocking. I staggered back in astonishment. It was Bella but… different. Her eyes were off. They were usually like molten chocolate. Full of warmth. They were cold now, clinical almost. The rest of her face made me stare as well. She looked mostly the same but stunningly beautiful. Bella had always been pretty. But in a quiet sort of way. Like a rose bud in spring. Now she was like the garden of Versailles. She looked like she had just stepped off a Vogue photo shoot. I looked down and saw she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt too. When I looked up I had a small smile on my face. Not too different then.

"Laura, it's so good to see you," she said in a soft melodic voice, her eyes soft.

I nodded and leant in for a hug. She pulled back abruptly, her face strained. A man appeared at her side and took her hand. He was smiling at me warmly.

"Hi, Laura," he greeted holding out his unoccupied hand, "I'm Edward, Bella's husband. It's really nice to meet you." I took his hand and shivered a little when I felt his ice cold skin. He was tall and also ridiculously handsome with light honey coloured eyes and tousled red hair.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm sorry that it took so long, there is no excuse really," I said apologetically looking at Bella. It had saddened me when she pulled back from the hug but I wasn't surprised that she was a bit put out with me. I had made no effort to keep contact with her since the last time I saw her. They stepped aside and I entered the house. It was as beautiful inside as it was on the outside.

"Laura, it's so nice to meet you. I'm Alice," she was small with short black hair. Her face was exquisite adorned with honey coloured eyes like Edward's. She gave me a hug and I returned it a little surprised at the affection. Her embrace was ice cold.

"Nice to meet you too, Alice. Thanks for telling me where my dad disappeared to," I said, calling out the last part to my dad who was reclining on the couch, not a care in the world. A child was sitting in his lap. She was gently tugging at the lapel of his jacket. I faltered.

"Oh sorry Laura, I got a bit distracted with the football and everything," Charlie said apologetically and sat up straight. The girl on his lap turned to me and I froze all together. She looked at me with Bella's eyes. How they should be. A warm, chocolaty brown. She smiled at me with square milk teeth. I counted backwards from today. Bella and Edward got married a month ago. But they still could've gotten pregnant before that. It explains the quick marriage but this child was almost a year old and I genuinely think my father would have let me know if I was an aunt.

I swung around to look at Bella. She was looking at me with a weird expression. It was sad and happy at the same time. I questioned her wordlessly and she shrugged coming up to stand next to me. We both glanced back at the beautiful little girl sitting on our father's lap.

"I wish I could explain to you what is going on, Laura," she said slowly trying to mask the weirdness of her voice, "But I can't, it's really complicated and it's better if you don't know the specifics. Just know that I'm ok and healthy." she stopped and turned to look at me, her face hopeful. I nodded slowly. Although I was dying of curiosity I decided that I was going to respect my sister's wishes. I wasn't exactly in the position to make demands.

"I'm so sorry Bells," I said softly and looked down at my feet in shame, "I had abandoned you when you needed me most and now you have this whole new life…" my eyes strayed around the room landing on Edward who stood with a small smile on his face.

"Laura, I understand," Bella came up to me and took my hand into her icy grip. I shivered a little, "It's all been forgiven a long time ago," her eyes were big and conveyed a thousand unspoken words. I nodded and my eyes wandered to the child on my dad's lap.

"So, you're telling me I'm an aunt?" I asked slowly. My chest was burning with an unfamiliar sensation. My eyes welled up. I nervously rubbed my palms on my jeans.

"Yeah," Bella laughed and walked forward to get her baby from Charlie.

"This is Renesmee. Honey, this is your aunt Laura," Bella deposited the baby into my arms and I held her closely staring into her eyes. She was so small. I felt Charlie come to stand beside me and rubbed my back clearing his throat gruffly. Bella stood in front of me never taking her eyes off her daughter. A little hand gently touched my hair and a tear escaped and stuck to my cheek. We stood together as a family for the first time in years.

"She is so beautiful, Bells," I choked out emotionally. Bella lightly touched my shoulder. A shiver ran down my spine again and she took her hand away. I looked up at her in what I hoped was a consoling way.

"Are we gonna stand around all day or finish the game?" a loud voice boomed from the couch. A giant of a man was sitting there occupying most of the couch. Charlie chuckled and returned to the couch. I ignored them and hummed a lullaby to the small thing in my arms. She yawned and settled in for a nap.

"Looks like someone likes you," a voice mumbled to my side. I turned and was confronted with another giant, his tall frame towering over me. It was Jacob Black, a childhood friend of mine. His dark eyes were soft and unsure. Like he didn't think I would remember him. Damp, black hair stuck to his forehead. I smiled, surprised and glad to see such a familiar face in the midst of all this strangeness.

"Jacob what are you doing here?" I whispered incredulously. He smiled that Jacob smile. The one you can't help but return. He patted my back and I stumbled forward. Damn he was strong. He chuckled and steadied me. I giggled nervously in response. I was a little shocked to see him chilling here with all these people.

"Oh you know, babysitting," he said, casting a sideways glance at Bella who narrowed her eyes. There was definitely some tension there but I decided not to unpack that right now. I was just so glad to see him. I took in his bulging muscles and massive build.

"You know steroids are bad for you?" I jokingly asked and turned to call to the giant on the couch, "You too!" I heard him laugh.

Edward apologised when he realised he hadn't introduced me to the rest of his family yet. I learned the big guy on the couch was named Emmet and the stunning blonde that was hovering near his shoulder, never taking her eyes off my niece, was Rosalie. I realised that I wasn't the only aunt in the room and went to gently place Renesmee in her arms. She looked at me gratefully and went to walk the perimeter of the house gently swaying the baby in her arms.

"I have to say Bella, even though I'm at a total loss at what's going on here," I said later in the afternoon stretching out on the couch, "I'm a bit jealous of the life you've built for yourself."

"It is wonderful," she sighed leaning her head on Edward's shoulder. "I'm just so sorry to hear about Benjamin, though. I really thought you guys were a forever kind of thing."

"Yeah me too," I sighed deeply and continued, "But I've just decided that I'll be ok, you know? I can't let this dictate the rest of my life." I shrugged, remembering how sad Scarlett had been when she had realised how Natasha had haunted her. I guess that it was a bit of a lie. I know I'll be ok. I just haven't figured out when.

"How're you feeling about going back to Seattle?" Jacob asked from the floor. He was leaning against the couch idly watching Renesmee crawl around entertaining Alice and Rosalie.

"I honestly haven't even thought about it," I muttered. I realised I was nervous. I don't know how I'll be able to navigate the massive city without constant reminders of him. Around every corner there was a sweet memory for me to remember. I used to love seeking out specific places we had special moments but now I was weary of them. Bella patted my arm. I was used to the smooth coldness now.

"You know, Laura," Edward said thoughtfully, "If you don't want to return to Seattle I might have a solution for you." he said and got up to stride to the stairs. He disappeared and returned shortly with a file in his hand. Bella and I sat up as he settled between us for me to see better.

"We recently bought a storefront in a small town in Virginia," he said and flipped the file open. Inside was a picture of a quaint store with a bay window as a display area. "We were thinking about opening a bookstore there. My father has a lot of small businesses around the country, his way of helping the job market. If you'd like you can manage it?" he finished handing the file over.

"Wow," I said my eyes glued to the small, red brick store. "I'd love to but I don't think it'd be smart. Virginia is so far. I'll never see you guys."

Even as I said it I couldn't stop myself imagining the interior of the store. A few old chairs would be in the middle with floor to ceiling shelves lining it. A mosaic of Persian rugs would cover the hardwood floor. When the door opens a bell would ring and I would offer the customer coffee and a cookie… or a doughnut. I shook my head. I can't do it, it's too much of a risk.

"We'll pay you as much as you're earning now," Edward shrugged. I seriously doubted that.

"I appreciate the offer Edward but I have such a good position in my company that it would be extremely unwise to give that up," I sighed disappointed. It would be a dream to manage such a beautiful little store. He chuckled and shrugged.

"Ok, you know what?" he said compromisingly, "You take the file and go over it tonight. Think about it and I'll email you an offer for the salary. If you still don't want to do it then it's fine."

"Thanks," I said rolling my eyes but smiling nonetheless.

Charlie and I left shortly after that, leaving Bella and Edward standing on the porch promising more visits. Edward implored me to take a better look at the business plan and I complied. I left with the file clutched under my arm.

We had dinner with Sue Clearwater, her son (who was also a big boy to say the least) and Billy Black. Billy was Jacob's father and my dad's long time friend. Sue seemed to be my father's girlfriend. It was a pleasant close to a chaotic day. After I had excused myself for the night their conversation continued late into the night while I settled in.

After everyone had left and my dad was asleep I sat in bed staring at the picture. I couldn't get the store out of my mind. I wanted to do it so bad. I wished Scarlett was here to help me decide. She decided to sleep over at her mum's. As I'd predicted her mother was absolutely ecstatic to see her and refused to let her leave. I smiled in a giddy sort of way. I was so happy for her.

My phone lit up next to me with a notification of a new email. I picked it up and saw it was the promised email with a salary offer to work in the store. I rolled my eyes and opened the email not expecting in the least bit a competitive offer. My mouth fell open in shock and I stared at the phone completely static as I took the offer in. It was almost double. How could they pay me this much just to run a small book store. I emailed back immediately expressing my concern and disbelief. He replied almost instantly.

_Laura_

_I have gone through the heartbreak you have. I have experienced the agony of trying to move on. The only thing that helped me back then (even if I was unsuccessful) was leaving and getting rid of everything that reminded me of your sister._

_We have a massive reserve of capital we never use. We have collected it for over 3 generations. It does no one any good just sitting there unused._

_If it makes you feel better we can give you the first month up front and you can decorate the store with that money. Bella and myself want you to thrive and be happy. She genuinely believes you will be able to properly start afresh in Mystic Falls. Let us do this for you._

_Love_

_Edward, Bella and Renesmee_

My eyes welled up and I let out a chuckle at the inclusion of Renesmee in their greeting. I lowered the phone and stared at the wall. The amount of money he is offering me up front is more than enough to decorate a store and have some left for a deposit on an apartment. I giggled nervously. Am I really going to do this? I picked the phone back up and typed a slow confirmation back. My heart was pounding by the time I hit send and when I went to bed that night I already had the interior planned out in my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter the Cullens. I had so much fun writing this chapter. My dream job is owning a small, quaint book store with a cozy atmosphere... Anyways... what waits for Laura in Mystic Falls? Read on to find out!


	4. The One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura arrives in Mystic Falls hungover but excited. Her first day goes by without a hitch until she gets a text message from Ben.

> _You know the greatest loves of all time are over now?_
> 
> _The One - Taylor Swift_

I woke up the next day feeling exhilarated. I bounded down the stairs and found Charlie pouring himself a cup of coffee. When he saw me he got out another cup. He seemed in a much better mood than when we got here. In fact, he almost seemed cheerful. Seeing my sister had obviously done him good. I smiled in thanks when he placed the steaming cup of coffee in front of me.

"So what are the plans today?" I asked and took a sip of my coffee.

"Work actually," he grunted, "I've been taking leave the last month in case something happened with Bells. Now that everything's sorted out, I need to go back."

"A crap, dad. That sucks. I wanted to take you out for lunch and celebrate my news," I said coyly. He looked up and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm taking a new job and it's quite far from here but it's an amazing opportunity, so I thought we'd celebrate," I smiled widely, and his expression softened. I wonder what he had been expecting. Poor Bella must have made him weary of the word.

"Laura! That's fantastic news!" he smiled broadly and patted my back.

"Yeah I'm really excited. I'm probably going to go over to Bella's soon to iron over the details," I said and abruptly started downing my coffee to get a move on.

"Oh, is this the bookstore thing Edward mentioned yesterday?" Charlie asked curiously. I nodded and went to place my cup in the sink. "I assume he matched your current salary then." he didn't sound surprised and chuckled.

"He almost doubled it. Said they had a lot of inheritance lying around," I said imitating a lofty, posh accent and laughed heartily.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised. They're loaded," Charlie muttered.

When I arrived at the Cullen house Alice skipped out to meet me. I smiled and gave her a hug when I got out of the truck. The poor thing didn't know what hit it this morning. I pushed it to its limits on the way here in my excitement.

"Bella and Edward haven't made their appearance yet," she said giggling, "You'll have to forgive them. They haven't gotten the chance to act as newlyweds since they got married." I nodded knowingly and we giggled as we made our way up the stairs that led to the house.

Alice led me to the kitchen where breakfast was being made by who I assumed was Esme, Edward's mother. She smiled warmly as I entered and hugged me after introducing herself.

"I thought I'd make you something to eat as well," she said as she turned back to the stove where she was managing four pans at once. "If you're anything like our own personal pack of wolves we might only just have enough." she chuckled warmly, and Alice trilled in with a melodic laugh.

"Someone say wolf"?" Jacob entered the kitchen rubbing his eyes. He looked like he slept outside. He had twigs in his hair and his shorts (also his only item of clothing) was torn and muddy. He took a seat at the table and looked hungrily at the food being prepared.

"Yeesh, Jacob," I said, picking a leaf out of his hair, "Shower much?" I asked mostly playful. He looked surprised at the mention of personal hygiene. All three of us burst out laughing while watched in mock hurt.

Only after I had breakfast did Edward and Bella make their appearance with Renesmee. I snatched the little thing right out of my sister's arms and kissed her face a bunch of times. Bella smiled warmly and went to look for Alice.

"So, we're doing this then?" Edward was excited, his eyes twinkling. I nodded excitedly and followed him up the stairs after giving Renesmee to Jacob. Edward knocked softly on a door and a quiet voice responded. We entered and the man inside stood up to greet us.

"Carlisle, this is Laura, my sister in law and the future manager of our new store in Virginia," Edward said somewhat proudly. Carlisle smiled warmly and shook my hand. It seemed that everyone here had extremely bad blood circulation because his hand was as freezing as Bella's.

"Pleased to meet you Laura," he said and sat down at his ornate desk. I returned the sentiment and we started discussing the plans for our new venture.

By the end of the day we decided that I would be leaving for Virginia next month. All I had to do was iron everything out here at home and then I would be on my way.

Everything was sorted except for one thing. I haven't told Scarlet about anything yet. We decided to meet at the cafe for lunch and I was nervous. I didn't want her to think I was abandoning her, but I really wanted to do this alone. I had always made sure that I was surrounded with familiar faces and in doing so found myself dependent on them. That was why I was so terrified of leaving as well. When I moved to Seattle from Forks, I had Ben and Scarlett right there to make the whole thing less scary. Virginia was far away, and I knew no one there. It was a challenge and I had to admit I was excited for one.

Scarlett was glowing when I met her at the cafe. As we sat down and started ordering I examined her familiar face. I knew it almost as well as my own. She had laughing eyes. Even when she wasn't smiling her eyes were always lit up with warmth. She had darker skin, something she credits her Latina mother for. I had never met anyone prouder of their heritage and family. Her dark hair was always beautifully styled and was never longer than her shoulders. My best friend. My sister.

"You won't believe how amazing Angela is doing in college," Scarlett was saying through a mouthful of burger, "She is nailing every subject. She and Ben are going strong as well. Oh yeah, she actually told me to ask you about Bella. Is everything alright there? I'm sorry I haven't asked..." she trailed off and swallowed looking at me expectedly.

"Oh yeah, Bella is great. She was sick and they were just waiting for her to get her strength back," I said absentmindedly and took a bite of my pasta. I didn't like lying to Scar but at least I didn't know the whole truth either, so I comforted myself with that fact. We continued chatting about our families and Scarlett was extremely excited about Bella's "adopted" daughter and demanded I get pictures to show her later. She in turn showed me pictures of her smaller brothers all grown up and we reminisced about when they were babies.

"Scar, I have to tell you something," I started, and I knew when I saw her open and expectant face that I could do this. She would understand why I had to leave.

"Everything good?" she said slightly serious but with a smile still playing on her lips.

"I got a new job," I said, and I couldn't help smiling in excitement, "but it's in Virginia."

"Oh my God, Laura!" she exclaimed standing up to hug me across the table, "This is amazing news! I mean I'm gonna miss you but I'm so excited for you!"

"Are you sure?" I asked, relieved, "You're not angry that I'm leaving you alone in Washington?"

She laughed and shook her head, "Dear God no, Laura. Of course not! I'm closer to my family here and I wouldn't want to make you give up a new opportunity. Now, tell me _everything!"_

The rest of the afternoon sped by in excitable yelps about books, Persian carpets and doughnuts. We laughed and cried a little. Even though I was ready for this I knew it would be hard for both of us. It would be hard to get used to her not being walking distance from me and having to reconcile with the fact that she would be a whole time-zone away. Her constant support has gotten me through most challenges in my life and I really shudder to think what I would've done without her. We separated that evening with hugs and tears streaming down our faces.

A month later I landed in Charlottesville Virginia with a hangover. Alice held me a small going away gathering at Charlie's house the previous evening and the drinks were flowing. I groaned heavily while getting my luggage. I knew it had been a mistake to challenge Jacob to a beer pong match. He won of course and didn't even show signs of being drunk. Everything after the match was a complete blur.

"Hi! Welcome to Virginia!" it felt like the lady at the car rental place was screaming at me. I flinched a little but said thank you and took the keys she was offering me. It was a two-hour drive to Mystic Falls from the airport. I sighed and started the car.

Virginia was beautiful. The rolling hills covered in trees reminded me of home but the ever-present cover of clouds were absent. I didn't miss it.

I settled into the long drive by putting my road trip mix CD into the car's player. The CD started and I realised my mistake. The song that started playing made my heart lurch and my head fill with memories of my last road trip with Ben to California. I skipped the song and the memories stopped. A more recent memory took their place.

Ben had come to see me while I was packing up the apartment. He hadn't come with apologies or excuses. Ben has always been a good guy and I knew that his infidelity weighed heavily on his conscience. He wanted to come check if I was alright. I had invited him, but I was unsure of whether he would actually show up. I stared at him as he stood fidgeting in the hallway. Concern was etched on his face but was quickly replaced with sadness when he saw my bag standing in the corner. That was probably why he decided to come. He wanted to check whether I was really moving to Virginia like my formal email to him had stated.

"Oh, so you're leaving soon then?" he asked after I let him in. He wiped his hands anxiously on his jeans.

"Yeah, the job wanted me immediately," I muttered.

"Of course," he said awkwardly. We stood in silence for a moment before I cleared my throat.

"Um, I decided to put the deed of the apartment in your name," I said quickly wanting to get this over with. I grabbed the key from the door and gave it to him. He looked down at it in awe and incredulity. "I just think it's better and easier that way. You can keep everything as well. I'll get new things when I get there."

"Laura, I don't know what to say. Thank you," he said his voice husky with emotion. I could feel my eyes welling up as well and wanting to avoid an awkward goodbye I grabbed the last of my things and left the apartment. When I was driving away, I looked back at the building in my rear view mirror. I half expected Ben to come running out waving his arms begging me to take him back, but he didn't. This time only relief followed the realisation and I turned the corner.

The goodbye this morning was hard to do as well. The whole family had come to the airport to wish me luck. The goodbyes went quite smoothly until I reached Bella with Renesmee in her arms. I hugged them both tightly and thanked her over and over for everything and promised that I would keep in touch. By the time I had gotten to Scarlett and Charlie I was incoherent with tears. They both had hugged me tightly and assured me that they would miss me and that they were proud of me.

The sound of my favourite Taylor Swift song brought me out of my reverie, and I sang a long loudly and the rest of the trip went by quite smoothly.

When I passed the "Welcome to Mystic Falls" sign I felt my heart rate speed up with nerves. I sat up straighter and took in the town. It was quaint and sunny with people milling around on the main street. The sun was shining brightly, and the rays glinted off the shiny store fronts. I slowed to a stop in front of my own store. The name we decided on was already in the window.

_Cullen & Swan Books_

I felt a little giddy as I took it all in. The closed sign was in the window, but I could see people slowing to a stroll to peer into the window. I continued down the street with a thudding heart and a broad smile.

The guesthouse I'd picked to live in before I got a place was quaint and reminded me of Forks. The hostess was a lovely elderly woman who walked me to my room chatting cheerfully. I thanked her and she left me in my room. It was beautifully decorated with light blue sheets and sheer white curtains fluttering slightly in the wind.

I sighed as I sat down on the soft bed. This was going to be a whole new part of my life and I mourned the fact that I had to lose something important to be able to do this. Benjamin's memory was always very close to the surface and I had to force myself to shove it back to the dark recesses of my mind.

After taking a shower and getting into bed I sent a quick text to my family and Scarlett that I was safe and that the store looks amazing. I fell asleep later that night excited to start this new chapter in my life.

Mystic Falls turned out to be a lot like Forks. A small town where one's business was never your own. Word quickly spread of my arrival and by the time I opened the store the next morning at 9 o'clock a little crowd had already formed at the door. I greeted everyone warmly offering coffee and doughnuts. Everyone was really friendly and most of them left with a book in hand. I had a few people come in just to browse and one girl came in and wrote in her journal for a while. In the inevitable lulls I spent my time unpacking merchandise and sitting in one of the chairs watching people pass by.

Everything was going so well. I was elated as I closed the store that afternoon triumphantly flipping the sign so it said closed. I was gathering my things from the back when my phone pinged with a notification.

_How's Virginia?_

_-Ben_

I stopped in my tracks, my bag dangling loosely from my shoulder. I looked at the message trying to make sense of him messaging me. Why did he think it was ok? Did he want us to maintain our friendship? I took a deep shaky breath and decided to ignore the message. Nothing was about to ruin my day.

I found myself later that night staring up at the ceiling as the tears rolled onto my pillow. I never would've gotten tired of him. If it were up to me we would've been together forever. I loved his family, I loved him and I just loved being with him. It was easy to be with him. I just wished he was the one like I had thought he was for the past 6 years. I feel asleep after hours dreaming of his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a filler chapter but was necessary to set the scene for the next one... Who will Laura meet? What will she see?


	5. Moral Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After meeting a lovely stranger in her store, Laura decided to join her new friend at the Founders Day Kick Off Party. There, she meets a dark and alluring man. When she witnesses something horrible she doesn't know what to think of this town and it's inhabitants.

> _And oh, my love  
>  Your beauty will consume me in the end  
>  Afterlife – Nothing But Thieves_

I opened the store the next day with a headache and puffy eyes, but the sight of the soft chairs and the smell of the brewing coffee made me feel a little better. The day started slow but built up as lunch came around and the school came out. I was so busy the whole day selling books, neatening the store, and making coffee that I completely forgot about Ben and his message.

An hour before closing a woman came in. I greeted her and offered her a coffee.

"Oh, no thanks. I just wanted to take a look at the store," she said giving me a friendly smile, "It's really beautiful! I think I might have to make it my new study spot." she huffed seemingly annoyed and started to browse the shelves.

"You are more than welcome," I said warmly and turned to the counter to wipe it down.

"Thanks, men have a nasty habit of ruining sanctuaries," she said her muffled voice coming from the back of the store. I snorted. I can relate to that.

"Amen, sister," I said, and she laughed. She came to the front with a beautiful copy of Anne Rice in her hand. She placed it on the counter and started rummaging in her bag for her wallet. I rang it up and got a good look at her. She had red hair that was pulled back in a haphazard bun at the nape of her neck. It reminded me of Scar's lopsided bun from a few weeks back.

"I'm Jenna by the way," she said after finally finding her wallet and placing a few notes on the countertop.

"Nice to meet you, Jenna. I'm Laura," we shook hands.

"How's the town treating you so far?" Jenna asked after tucking the book carefully into her bag. I shrugged.

"So far so good," I said,"I had a bunch of people come in this morning and all of them were pretty nice. Most of them bought something which was great." We laughed together.

"Don't worry, the small-town crazy will start soon," she said her hazel eyes flashing with amusement.

"I know, I come from a small town myself so I'm not unfamiliar with the crazy," I responded with a grin. We talked for a long time, eventually getting coffee, and sitting in the bay window seats making our way through family stories and dramas. When I finally looked at the time, I saw that it's closing time.

"Oh, it's closing time!" I exclaimed and flipped the sign and Jenna got up to gather her things.

As I turned to the counter to turn the computer off it occurred to me that I actually made a new friend today. Jenna halted at the door when I spoke again.

"Hey, would you like to have a drink with me? You can show me the nice places in town," I asked somewhat nervously wringing my hands. The fear of rejection reminded me of high school, and I forced my hands to relax.

"Ugh I wish I could but I'm already going to the Founder's Day Kick Off Party... You can join me if you want but be warned it's full of small-town people," she warned with an ominous finger. I laughed and my heart skipped with relief. Her initial reaction had made it drop in disappointment.

"I have no idea what that is but I'm in!" I said excitedly.

I finished closing the store and she gave me her address. She insisted we get ready at her place. My room at the guest house was small but cosy and I spent a good while looking in my bag for something appropriate before finding the red midi length dress that Alice had shoved into my bag when I was packing. That girl was uncanny. Before I left, I took a deep breath and reminded myself to enjoy the evening.

"John is just the biggest jackass you'll meet," Jenna grunted as she put on her shoes, "He's making my life real hard with all the arrangements with my brother in law's will."

Jenna hadn't mentioned that her brother in law passed away. When the topic of her sister came up earlier in the day Jenna made a passing comment about how her sister had died in a car accident. It looked like she didn't want to talk about it so I didn't pry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise," I said looking back at Jenna from the mirror where I was applying lipstick. She shrugged and offered me some of her perfume. A sadness clung to her tone as she answered.

"It's ok, I actually forgot that you didn't know. Small town crazy, you know," she said and gave me a small smile. I returned it and spritzed the perfume on my neck and wrists. It had a faint lavender smell and Ben's face floated in my mind.

"I understand. It's hard to keep things private when you know the whole town," I said shuddering at the thought. The last week preparing for Mystic Falls was a little hellish to say the least. Jenna laughed as well, and her sombre mood lightened.

"Ok, we have to go," she said, and we grabbed our things and carefully descended the stairs in our heels.

She told me about a guy she'd been seeing for a while in the car. Elena, Jenna's niece, introduced them and his name is Alaric. She mentioned that he was going to be there tonight and that she was anxious to see him again. The fact that I might be alone at the party for a while made me a little nervous, but I decided to take the time to meet new people.

"Wow," I said when we arrived. The building was big and was bathed in golden light with people milling around it. There were twinkling lights strung up everywhere including the trees with big vases of white roses standing guard at the entrance. I watched as two men entered engulfed in light and jazz music.

"I need a drink if I'm going to get through this," Jenna said nervously as we moved toward the bar and took a seat while ordering our drinks.

I looked at the people milling around the room while sipping my drink. There were a lot of teenagers standing around talking to each other excitedly. The adults were conversing in small groups with drinks in hand. The music was slow and a bit tedious, but I guess it fit the atmosphere. Here and there I could see the teenagers spilling liquid from small bottles into their drinks. I smiled a little and decided to turn a blind eye.

"Well this is what a party in Mystic Falls usually looks like especially if the Mayor's wife had anything to do with it," Jenna said and took a deep gulp of her drink. I chuckled and took a sip of my drink.

"Thank God," Jenna said as the music changed abruptly from soft jazz to a more upbeat song. The teenagers all swarmed to the floor and started dancing. I shook my head at the uniformity of it.

"That's much better," I said and me and Jenna clinked our glasses and started bobbing our heads to the beat.

"You'll have to slow down with those, or you won't make it to John's speech," a girl suddenly spoke next to Jenna.

"That, my dear Elena, is the whole point," Jenna said turning to her. Elena laughed and her brown eyes met mine with recognition on her face. I was taken aback by her resemblance to Bella. Brown eyes sat in almond shapes in a face with high cheekbones. Dark tresses spilled down her back. Her willowy figure was tall, and she held it with a certain amount of grace.

"You own the new bookstore in Main Street, right?" she asked. I noticed she took extra care to look into people's eyes.

"Yeah I do, I'm Laura," I said and smiled. Elena returned the smile.

"I was just there the other day to write in my journal. It's so nice and peaceful in there and the doughnuts are delicious," she gushed, and I felt blush tingling my cheeks as I thanked her warmly for the compliment. I made a mental note to send Edward and Carlisle an email with everyone's praises.

"I was actually just coming here to escape Stefan's dancing," she said with embarrassment and endearment in her voice.

"Oh really? I can't imagine it's worse than Kelly Donovan dancing with a bunch of seventeen-year old's," Jenna said and nodded towards an older woman dancing with a much younger man with tousled brown hair.

"It would be if that wasn't Stefan," Elena said uncomfortably and we all looked at each other and burst out laughing. I finished my drink just then and ordered another one. I took a sip and turned back to the conversation. A man had joined us. He was tall with a day-old beard lining his face. Dark blonde hair stuck up in all directions on his head.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't notice we had company," he said and immediately held out his hand, "I'm Alaric Saltzman." I took his hand and threw a subtle look of approval in Jenna's direction.

"Laura Swan," I smiled, shaking his hand as he looked at me curiously.

"I assume you're not from around here?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"No, I'm new to town. I moved here from Forks, Washington," maybe if I pretended Seattle didn't exist Ben would disappear from my head as well.

"That's near La Push," he said with an excited glint in his eyes. He borrowed his hands in his pockets and I nodded, slightly surprised that he knew the area so well, "The Quileute tribe who's native to that land has fascinating legends about how they descended from wolves. It tells that their ancestors could shape-shift into them and they even have their own myths about vampires. I recently read an article about how they actually have an ancient treaty with these "cold ones" to make sure that they stay off their land. It's all myth and fairy tales of course but it's fascinating either way." he finished and threw a quick glance in Elena's direction. I was amazed that Billy had never mentioned this in his extended lectures about his culture. He used to corner me and Jacob back in the day. I never really minded.

"I actually know a few members of the tribe," I said, "They are amazing people." Alaric nodded in agreement and we exchanged a few comments about La Push and the surrounding area. The conversation shifted and Alaric turned his attention to Jenna.

She was looking at Alaric with an endearing expression and I had to turn away. Ben's face protruded into my head and I gulped down my drink and ordered another one. I can't get upset at other people's happiness. Jenna told me she was going to dance with Alaric, and I registered only slightly. The look of Ben's dejected face when I closed the door on him at the apartment was still vividly staring at me in my head. When I turned around, I was alone and I sighed.

Time to venture out on my own.

I made my way through the jumble of bodies on the dance floor and decided to look around the venue. A few people stopped me to compliment my store. I smiled warmly each time and thanked them before moving on.

When I finally reached a quiet place, I was in the foyer. The stairs were wide and adorned with more white roses and twinkling lights. I made my way up them and was met with a gust of wind and fresh air. I walked through the open French doors onto the wide balcony and took a deep breath. I leaned against the railing and sipped my drink. The bitter taste had all but faded and I could feel my head getting a bit heavy as the alcohol started taking effect. The view from up here was quite nice with the light of the town glowing from just a mile away. I could see the clock tower of the town hall from here.

"If you lean over any farther you might as well jump," a smooth voice came from behind me. I turned quickly and accidentally pushed my drink from the ledge. It shattered at the bottom with people looking up in indignation. I didn't pay them any mind. Piercing blue eyes stared at me with mischief and curiosity under dark eyebrows. He moved to stand next to me. His posture was formal with an air of old etiquette. His pitch-black hair was ruffled as if he just rolled out of bed and his glass was like an extension of his hand. His face was angular with a sharp jawline and straight nose.

"I don't think we've met. I would've remembered a face like yours," he said gallantly and smiled. He gently took my hand and kissed it. Blush crept up my face and I pressed a cold hand to my cheek to diffuse it. I cleared my throat.

"Laura Swan," I managed and looked into his eyes. They were impossibly expressive with a million different emotions flickering in them in small intervals.

"Pleased to meet you, Laura," he said my name slowly, "I'm Damon Salvatore." He looked at me a second longer and then turned back to the view in front of us.

"Your drink must have been horrible for you to fling it over the side like that," he remarked and smirked. I let out a nervous laugh and looked at the distant mess I made.

"It's not my fault you snuck up on me," I said mockingly. He shrugged and took a sip of his drink. He was dark and broody and the opposite of Ben. I found myself falling into a rabbit hole of fantasies and shook my head. I'm not here to hook up with someone.

"Well, you should be more alert in a town like this one," he responded smirking at an inside joke.

"Yeah, especially with monsters like you lurking around," I smiled back, and our eyes met with a surge of electricity.

"You have no idea," he murmured, his eyes flickering to my lips. We stared at each other for a long moment, our eyes drinking each other up. I shook my head and cleared my throat.

"I think I need another drink," I said, wanting to get away from his intoxicating smile. He bowed formally.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Swan," he said softly and peered into my eyes again. I stood staring into the blue for a moment. My heart thudded loudly in my chest and I smiled at him slightly. I tore my eyes away and wandered off the balcony to the bar on the second floor. While the bartender poured me a drink, I mulled over the heart stopping handsome man outside. His eyes were irresistible. I wanted to stare into them forever. My cheeks flamed when I thought of the fleeting glance he gave my lips and I couldn't help but imagine what it would've felt like to kiss him. Ignoring my better judgement, I decided to go talk to him again unable to resist his allure. When I heard voices from the other side of the French doors I stopped short and listened.

"... I could rip your throat out before anyone could notice, right?" Damon's threat was spoken in a soft conversational tone. "But you probably ingest vervain so..." he trailed off his smooth voice lilting at the edge as if he's smiling. I froze my drink hanging midway to my mouth. I peeked around the curtains and saw the two men standing close to each other in a casual but threatening standoff. A million questions sprung up. Who was this? Was Damon being? What's vervain?

"Why don't you take a bite and find out?" the other man's voice was arrogant. Damon let out a soft impatient laugh and shook his head. His raven hair glinting in the light of a thousand Christmas lights.

"Not worth my time," he said smoothly and started to walk away towards me. I quickly jumped back into the curtains, my heart galloping madly in my chest at the idea of being caught. What the fuck was going on here? Before I could gather my thoughts, I heard a loud crack and a sickening thud as a body hit the floor beyond the balcony.

I staggered to the railing before I could stop to think about Damon - the once alluring stranger now murderer - seeing me. The man was lying at the bottom, limbs sticking out in weird angles.

"Oh my god," I stammered and spun around to see Damon looking at me with surprise and annoyance. "Oh my god, you just killed him!" I whispered fiercely stepping closer to him, poking his chest. A smile threatened on his lips.

"Stop smiling you psycho," I hissed and stepped back a little afraid.

"Now, Miss Swan, didn't your mother teach you not to eavesdrop?" he said smoothly and looked down into my eyes. I shook my head and started to move away from him, my stomach turning when I realised, I was still attracted to him.

"Get away from me," I hissed taking another step away from him. He caught my face in his hands and for a crazy second, I thought he was going to kiss me. I froze.

"Listen, I didn't kill him," his voice took on a strange compelling tone. His head tilted downwards to look deep into my eyes. A weird sensation overcame me then. It felt like tendrils of fog were prodding at my brain trying to find a way in. I blinked my eyes furiously trying to get rid of the sensation. "You didn't see me killing him _._ OK?" he continued while I stared at him blankly.

He seemed satisfied with my reaction and took a long second to maintain eye contact. Finally, he released my face and took the drink standing on the pillar. He walked off the balcony and down the stairs with an air of indifference. There was even a spring in his step. My stomach heaved and I threw up the last three drinks without warning. My breath came out in uneven pants and I steadied myself on the railing of the balcony. I shut my eyes tightly to try and make the world stop spinning.

_What the fuck just happened?_ I thought frantically my eyes still closed. Should I go to the Police station? Maybe I should tell someone here? I saw a deputy at the door when we arrived. I took a deep breath deciding to tell the deputy I saw earlier. I opened my eyes reluctantly and gasped.

The body was gone. I searched frantically for a retreating figure carrying a body, but I could see none. Did Damon get rid of it? It seemed unlikely. I frowned and decided to make my way downstairs to the deputy. Someone had to know what happened. I rushed down the stairs and made it to the end just in time to run into someone entering through the front door.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I said, my voice erratic as I tried to gain my composure. I looked up and gasped staggering back. It's him. The dead guy. He smiled and shook his head in a dismissive manner.

"It's all good. Are you all right?" he asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I felt the blood drain my face and I quickly threw his hand off and raced outside. My stomach heaved again and steadied myself against a tree in the manicured front lawn.

I really felt that Jenna's description of the small-town crazy had been a little bit of an understatement. I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead and tried to get my breathing under control. At least it was quiet here. I could hear the party going on inside, but I just couldn't bring myself to join it again. Every time I thought of the dead man's face a wave of nausea overcame me.

He was dead. I saw it. I saw him dead on the ground with at least three broken bones. He was dead and then he wasn't. I couldn't wrap my head around it. The exchange with Damon frightened and confused me as well. Why did he think that telling me that he didn't kill the guy would make me believe he didn't when I literally caught him in the act? And why, despite all that, did I relish it when he stared into my eyes like that?

_Something was not right here,_ I thought, straightening up from where I leant against the tree. I glanced around me at the people leaving the party or just chatting on the grass and my eye caught the tousled head of Stefan. I watched as he gripped the fence tightly, his back rigid with tension. I frowned and shook my head. Strange people in this town. I decided to wait for Jenna and Elena to come out rather than going back to the party. It wasn't a long wait and I was in the car with Jenna after only a few minutes. She was chattering about Alaric and how much of a gentleman he was but all I could think about was the dead man on the concrete who wasn't dead anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a long one! Hope you guys liked it! I rewrote the scene where Damon and Laura meets multiple times before I was satisfied. I love Laura and Damon's chemistry. Do you think Laura will be able to stay away from him?


	6. Feral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her encounter with Damon, Laura is unable to stop thinking about him. She struggles to reconcile her attraction to him with what she saw him do. The night takes a dark turn when she runs into a troubled Stefan.

> _No one can see them_   
>  _The angels, the demons_   
>  _Are testing how low you'll go_
> 
> _Worth it? - Kodaline_

The next few days went by sluggishly. I spent my days in the shop pretending everything was ok. I slaved away in front of my laptop at night pouring over articles about resurrection and defying death. It felt stupid to do it but I couldn't get the look of arrogance on the dead guy's face out of my head. I also learned in my extensive research that Vervain was a rare herb. No idea as to why it was mentioned in the conversation, though.

And as much as I tried, I couldn't forget Damon Salvatore's icy eyes boring into mine as if… willing me to believe what he wanted me to. The research on mind control felt even more foolish.

Jenna came in almost every day to work on her thesis and have coffee with me. I felt that I came off agitated and tired but she never mentioned it so I hoped I was selling my nonchalant act well. She was quickly becoming one of my best friends. She even gave me a bottle of perfume as a gift. At least this one didn't smell of lavender. We were relaxing in the window seat of the store a few days after the party and I just couldn't help myself.

"Do you know Damon Salvatore?" I asked her feigning a casual tone.

"Unfortunately," she grunted and took a sip of her coffee, "He's Stefan's brother so I have to deal with him more than I'd like… Why?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. I shrugged. Was everyone in this town connected somehow?

"No reason. I met him at the party the other night. He was a bit strange," I said trying to undersell my curiosity.

"Yeah they both are," Jenna said watching me carefully, "He didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked.

"No, it's nothing like that," I said hurriedly not wanting to make her worried, "We chatted a bit and he got me a drink but that's all." Jenna sat back in relief. I was starting to get the idea that I wasn't the only one aware of Damon's darker nature. I knew he was dangerous. So why couldn't I stop thinking about him?

"As a matter of fact, I actually need to ask him about something I saw at the party," I tried to make the lie as true as possible, "Do you know where I can find him?"

This was wrong, I was thinking later as I made my way to the address Jenna had reluctantly provided. This was wrong on so many levels. I shouldn't have closed the store earlier to do this. I should be running for the hills. I knew how I was supposed to be reacting at the moment but I struggled to convince myself that fleeing was the right option. It was an obsession now. One I wasn't prepared to let go of until I had answers.

I pulled up to the driveway and sat in the car for a moment. My hands were fidgety and I could feel my heart thudding into an uneven rhythm at the prospect of seeing him again. In a bad way of course. The lie left a bitter taste in my mouth. I swallowed it and hurried to the door. Before I could knock, it opened to none other than the dead guy. I felt the nausea creeping up again.

"We keep running into each other," he said strolling towards me, "I'm John by the way. Felt like I needed to say that before you run off again," he smiled in what he probably thought was a charming way but all I could see was how his neck bent awkwardly to the side when he was lying on the ground. Dead. He must be Elena's uncle then.

"Laura," I said through gritted teeth.

"Miss Swan, a lovely surprise," Damon appeared in the doorway looking embittered and annoyed. He stared John down until he turned and left leaving me in the presence of Damon, the mysterious murderer.

"We need to talk," I hissed and shoved him out of the way and walked into his house. I heard the heavy door close behind me as I made my way into the lounge. It was big and decorated with heavy mahogany furniture covered in dark upholstery. It looked very much like an evil lair.

"Drink?" He asked and gestured to a table covered in crystal bottles filled with amber liquid. I shook my head, no.

"How can I help, Miss Swan?" he asked and approached me with an odd look on his face. It was expectant, I realised. Why did he think I was here?

"Listen, I think we need to talk about the other night at the party," I said trying to keep my voice steady.

"Yes, I'm sorry for disappearing like that," he apologetically. It would've been believable if I hadn't seen him throw a man off a balcony. I looked at him incredulously.

"Do you seriously think I would forget you killed John?" I asked, pointing to the door where John was standing a few moments earlier. I searched for signs of his mask cracking. "Not to mention he just got up after you tossed him over the balcony and flirted with me literally 10 minutes after the fact!"

His face changed from apologetic to infuriated and he materialised in front of me. His face was so close to mine I could make out each individual lash framing his flaming blue eyes. My breathing quickened as he bent down and sniffed my neck. His nose lightly brushed my throat and it sent my heart rate skyrocketing for entirely the wrong reasons.

" _Fucking_ vervain," he cursed savagely. What did that have to do with anything? Did he smell it? He grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the stairs muttering furiously the whole way, "... should really think about _not_ giving that damn perfume to random humans." I caught a bit of his mostly silent tirade. I tried experimentally to yank my hand out of his but to no avail. His hands could've been made of iron for all the difference it made. I decided to just follow him.

We finally made it to a room and he stormed inside dragging me behind him. He led me to an en suite bathroom and shoved me inside the shower. When I realised what he was going to do I tried to get out but he just turned the tap. I shrieked as the cold water cascaded down my body. He scrubbed at my neck and wrists with soap.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I yelled trying to rip my arms out of his grip.

"Listen if you just sit through this you can go home and literally forget it happened, kay?" he said through clenched teeth a note of dark amusement in his voice. I tried shoving him away but he was planted firmly on the spot. I rolled my eyes and fumed silently as he continued to scrub at my arms. He stopped the water, pulled me from the shower, shoved a towel into my arms and placed me on the bed. He gripped my shoulders and stared into my eyes again with the same intensity as the night of the party. Anger was still coursing through my veins and I crossed my arms tightly.

"You are going to go home and forget everything that happened here and at the party. You are going to remember flirting with me and us talking for a while. You didn't see me kill John Gilbert and you won't remember me trying to compel you," he said his voice falling into a steady rhythm. The tendrils prodded at my brain and I could feel their frustration when they couldn't gain access to my memory.

"Listen, I don't know what you're doing but I don't think it's working, ok? So just let me go," I said, trying to sound fierce. He growled in frustration bending down and smelling my neck again.

"Why the hell is this not _working_?" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. He looked frustrated and annoyed. I started tapping my foot impatiently and tried to ignore the fact that I was starting to get a little scared. He sat down on the bed with a huff and turned to look at me.

"Listen, there are a bunch of stuff going on here that you do not want to know about," he didn't sound angry or upset anymore. It was like he was genuinely trying to convince me that I _didn't_ want to know. He was wrong. I needed to know. "I can't have you running around babbling that I chucked John Gilbert off a balcony, can I?" he said reasonably.

"I won't tell anyone," I said and frowned, "It's not like anyone would believe me with him running around very much alive."

"You'd be surprised what people are willing to believe in this town." he gritted his teeth. "So that is a good point and I would've believed you. If I trusted you. Which I don't. So, how do you feel about a sleepover until the vervain leaves your system?" he said wiggling his eyebrows. I shook my head indignantly.

"Yeah that's not gonna happen," I said forcefully and turned to him with a fierce gaze, "I have a shop to run and a family that will look for me if I don't contact them in a few days." I got up off the bed and walked towards the door but I didn't make it far.

He spun me around and trapped me to the wall, his face inches from mine. The anger bled away almost instantly. Now I only felt fear and, I was ashamed to admit it, excitement at his closeness. My breath stuttered and my eyes strayed to his lips.

"Come now," he said, his voice low and sultry, "It'll be fun, I promise," he smiled and his eyes flickered to my lips. I tried to gather my thoughts. It was extremely difficult when he was only one head tilt away from kissing me. Blood rushed to my face. I desperately wanted to find out what was going on here and he desperately wanted me to forget he killed John Gilbert. What if I could negotiate? I cleared my throat trying to find my voice.

"OK," I said and I stood up straighter. I locked eyes with him and he didn't look away, "I'll stay but only if you tell me what happened." I said firmly and smiled. He shook his head but a grin was playing on his lips as well. He gave me a contemplative look and was about to answer when my phone rang. When he took a step back, I tried to compose myself before answering the phone.

It was Jenna.

" _Hey girl, where are you?"_ she said, her tone worried. I cursed internally. We were supposed to meet each other at the pageant thing this afternoon. I glanced at the time and realised I was 20 minutes late

"Um," I scrambled for an excuse. "I'm sorry Jenna but-" I caught Damon's eye and he frowned indicating that he wanted to speak with me. "Just a second," I said and turned to Damon, "What?"

"You're friends with Jenna?" he asked and I nodded. He cussed softly.

"Tell her you're going," he said and left the room. Frowning, I put the phone back to my ear and told Jenna that I had been late closing the store and that I'll be there as soon as I could.

When Damon reappeared, he was wearing a stunning suit with a dark blue tie. The colour went well with his baby blue eyes.

"Listen, do you have something to wear to this thing?" he asked impatiently and spritzed some cologne on his neck.

"Yes, it's just at home," I said and patted my pocket for my keys. I would have to go to the guest house to get changed. When I started to make my way to the door, he stepped in front of me.

"We're taking my car," he smirked, grabbed my keys and stowed them in his pants pocket. He didn't trust me.

"What if I want to take my own car?" I asked, crossing my arms. He shrugged and left the room. I rolled my eyes, following him reluctantly.

"So, are you going to tell me how John woke up out of the dead?" I asked as we got into his car.

"I don't know yet," he said.

"Well I mean if you're going to 'make me forget' what's the harm?" I asked, still not sure how the mind control worked. He shouldn't be able to do that but I haven't been able to find a plausible explanation for the foggy tendrils. The car was quiet for a while as he made his way through the town. He shot me a contemplative look and sighed.

"Fine, but you're not going to believe me," he said, still looking at me. I gave him a challenging look and placed my hand on his cheek to force him to look at the road. He chuckled.

"Uncle John stood up from the dead because he has a magical ring that prevents him from dying," He said his eyes, glinting with amusement, were glued to the road. Well of course he was lying to me. What bullshit! A magical ring? I scoffed and decided to ignore him for the rest of the drive. I should've known he would try and make fun of me.

When we got to the guesthouse I got out and started to get ready while he talked to the hostess. I was fuming at being led to believe I would get the truth. After everything that I saw I felt that I deserved it. I refuse to accept the explanation of a magical ring. I refuse to be made a fool of.

I set about showering and washing my hair. I found some bobby pins in my toiletry bag and started pinning my hair up in a loose elegant updo cursing as I went. As much as I wanted to join Jenna at the event I didn't want to go there with Damon. He was confusing me with his blue eyes and lies. My dress was knee length and blue. I regretted picking the colour a few days ago. It matched Damon's tie almost perfectly. I didn't have time to decide on something else and quickly tossed it on with a pair of precarious heels that I also regret buying.

I grabbed my clutch and rushed down the stairs When I reached the reception desk, I tapped Damon's shoulder impatiently. He turned and faltered when he saw me. His eyes roamed my body and lingered on my legs. They were elongated by the heels and I found myself smiling inwardly. The heels weren't so bad after all. He held the door open and we left the guest house. I felt his hand rest lightly on the small of my back as he led me to his car. An intense heat radiated from the spot.

"I'm not lying you know," he said when we were driving again. I rolled my eyes, "It was spelled by a witch almost a hundred years ago and passed down the Gilbert line where it landed on the finger of the one and only John Gilbert." he didn't look like he was joking. He sounded factual.

"You have to understand why I find that hard to believe," I said and purposely kept gazing out the window to prevent the tongue tied feeling I got when I looked at him. It was frustrating.

"Well we are talking about a man that you saw get killed and flirted with you ten minutes afterward," he shrugged, "Is it that farfetched?" I bit my lip in contemplation. He had a point. We were talking about resurrection. Something inherently absurd. Magical rings didn't seem as farfetched now. We pulled up to the venue. People were rushing in and out all dressed in formal attire.

"Ok, try and stay close to Jenna. Don't talk to anyone unless they talk to you. Got that?" he said curtly and met my gaze with intensity. I grit my teeth and agreed. I fucking hated when men did that. Before I could get out, he was already opening the door. He offered me his arm and I reluctantly accepted. When we reached the door where I assumed Jenna was, he stopped and turned to me. He placed an ostentatious finger on my lips. I wanted to bite it off. I slapped his hand away and barged into the room.

"Laura thank God you're here," Jenna rushed to me and gave me a tight hug, "I was worried about you! First you ask for Damon's address and then you show up late? I was getting ready to gather a search party!" she stood back and looked at my dress with wide eyes. I felt self-conscious instantly.

"Is it too much? You said black tie-" she cut me off with a light slap on the arm.

"You look absolutely amazing, Laura! Your legs are miles long!" she said taking my hand and spinning me around. I blushed at her complement.

"Hey, Laura! You look stunning, you really do. I just really need help with my hair Jenna," Elena said nervously. Jenna rushed to her side and picked up the curling iron. I stood back and watched the other girls getting ready.

The atmosphere in the room was crackly with nerves and I could feel my own being exacerbated. The calm I had tried to maintain bled away and a tremor started from deep in my belly and the events of the afternoon came crashing down on me. His strength, his speed and his unexplained attempts at coercion. It all settled on my chest with the weight of a mountain. The weight of it settled neatly next to the one left by Ben. The thought of him made the room too much to bear.

I excused myself and hurried to the hallway. Taking deep breaths, I took in my surroundings. I was in an ornate hallway dotted with expensive looking loveseats and bunches of pink roses in large opulent vases. Of course, it would be immaculately decorated. If the party of the other night was any indication, these people didn't fuck around with Founder's Day celebrations. Despite my undeniable attraction to Damon and the realisation that he might feel the same, I felt scared. An overwhelming urge to escape came over me and I started to make my way to the stairs when a certain well-dressed raven-haired man appeared at the top. I didn't bother trying to move around him. What was the point?

"Tsk, tsk Miss Swan," his eyes sparked with amusement and mischief. I rolled my eyes and sat down in one of the chairs in the hallway. "Don't make me lock you in the car," he said and sat down next to me.

"That would be better than pretending to like jazz," I said and smirked slightly. He looked at me inquisitively, his eyes searching my face. When I returned his gaze, he looked away and cleared his throat.

"So, Miss Swan, what on earth made you choose this little hell hole of a town as your new home?" he asked, giving me a sideways glance.

Although the question was simple, I could see a veiled attempt at understanding me. Like the failed mind control was still haunting him. I cleared my throat.

"I'm managing my brother in law's bookstore," I said, smoothing my dress for a lack of something better to do with my hands. He nodded as if he already knew that.

"Yes, I know, but why not manage a bookstore in whatever town you're from?" he asked.

"That's quite personal actually," I said coldly. I didn't feel like rehashing the whole sad tale.

"Ah, there's a guy," he said knowingly. It annoyed the crap out of me, "There is always a guy."

"Maybe you should mind your own business," I shot at him. Naturally he was right and it struck a chord. I got up. He grabbed my arm and I plucked it out easily, surprised at his lack of conviction to make me stay.

"I'm going to the bathroom or are you going to follow me there too?" I asked sarcastically. He shook his head slowly. I couldn't make out his expression before I turned on my heels and sped down the stairs. Was it regret? Disappointment? I didn't really care, I wanted out of this place and out of this town. I halted at the bottom trying to catch my breath. The urge to escape was vastly overshadowed by my curiosity and loyalty. I didn't intend on breaking the promise I made to Jenna. She was wound up about this event because it was a painful reminder of her dead sister. Smoothing my dress, I gained my composure and decided to wait it out and leave tomorrow. I felt unsafe in this town. Damon's blue eyes will never make that go away.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to blend in with the crowd. A waiter waltzed past with a tray laden with champagne and I grabbed a glass holding on to it for dear life. I took a sip and tried to look for a familiar face. I saw Jenna's nephew Jeremy talking to a girl but I didn't want to interrupt that so I continued my search. Most of the people I recognised from the shop but I couldn't put a name to the faces. A few of the party goers gave me a friendly smile but didn't stop to chat, something I was a little grateful for. I was just about to declare the search futile when Jenna appeared at my side. I almost cried in relief.

"Where did you disappear to?" she asked and took a sip of my drink.

"Nothing clears a room faster than a bunch of angsty teenage girls," I chuckled trying to keep the relief out of my voice. Although I was glad to see her, the tremor in my stomach hadn't really disappeared. She laughed with me and handed my drink back to me.

We were joined shortly afterward by Alaric who looked dishevelled as usual. The atmosphere was jovial with the adults drinking more and more champagne and when we gathered outside where the contestants would be passing through to the dance floor our cheeks were flushed with alcohol and excitement.

"I hope Elena's hair stays put," Jenna said nervously wringing her hands.

"I'm sure her hair will be just fine, Jenna," I said comfortingly.

The mayor's voice sounded from a corner of the room and a soft violin accompanied the first girl's descent down the stairs. One by one they descended after their names were called and I could hear Jenna take a deep breath when they announced Elena's name. We only caught a glimpse of her as she started to descend and I grabbed Jenna's hand.

"She looks lovely Jenna," I said softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She nodded silently, her eyes swimming in unshed tears.

When Elena reappeared, her arm was curled around Damon's. Jenna cast a worried look in Alaric's and I direction. Turning to Alaric I could see Jenna's worried expression mirrored in his.

"What is Elena doing with Damon?" she asked in a muted voice. Alaric shook his head.

"And where's Stefan?" I asked, craning my neck, searching for the tousle haired teenager.

"I have no idea," he said watching as Elena and Damon moved towards the dance floor.

They made quite the pair. Elena was wearing a beautiful sapphire gown with her dark hair cascading down her back in loose curls. Damon's tie matched her dress perfectly. I couldn't take my eyes off him as they moved across the dance floor and he couldn't keep his eyes off Elena. I found myself wishing I was in his arms being swept across the room.

After the dance ended, I forced myself to clap along with the other spectators. Jenna and I approached Elena and gushed over her gown and how amazing she danced. The jealousy I had felt earlier still sat uncomfortably in my stomach and I tried to wash it away with champagne and by avoiding Damon as much as I could. When Jenna and I headed to the stage where the winner would be announced my head was fuzzy and warm. My escape plan was all but forgotten and I decided tipsily to scan the crowd for my raven-haired captor and found him being led away by a blonde woman accompanied by a Deputy.

_I hope he's being arrested._ I thought to myself and smirked. Now was the perfect time to slip away. The room erupted in applause as a blonde girl was crowned as Miss Mystic Falls and I edged out of the room trying to disappear silently. The air sobered me up when I breathed in the crisp chill. I wrapped my coat tightly around my shoulders and started to make my way down the driveway unsteadily.

"Fuck," I whispered as I plucked the heels of my feet. Champagne always disguised its potency with bubbles and classiness. Taking off the heels made my progress down the driveway a little faster. Raised voices floated towards me as I neared the end. The street was in sight but my eye caught a couple standing near a bright red car. Narrowing my eyes, I tried to see if I recognised the couple and realised it was Stefan. He was talking intently to a blonde girl grabbing her by the shoulders and gently shaking her.

"Hey, Stefan," I called making my way closer to them, "Is everything all right?" I asked.

They're conversation ended abruptly and as soon as the girl heard my voice she turned and ran, her feet crunching on dead leaves as she went. I frowned wondering what I had walked into. Stefan was standing with his back to me. My pace slowed and as I reached him, I faltered. He was rigid with tension and his hands balled into fists before he turned to me and looked me in the eyes.

When I saw his face, I staggered back in fear, stumbling in an effort to put distance between us.

He was covered in blood. It stained his mouth and dripped into his crisp white shirt. His eyes were wild with fear and mania. My gaze travelled to his hands to try and find a weapon. He held none. I held my hands up.

"Stefan, it's me, Laura," I said, forcing a smile onto my face. If he recognised me from our brief encounter a few days ago at the shop he didn't show it. His face showed only hunger and disgust.

He didn't say anything as he approached me. I could feel his eyes boring into mine as he took another step toward me. Putting my hand in my pocket, I searched for the pepper spray I had tucked in right before leaving the guest house.

"You remember?" I continued conversationally, trying to keep my voice steady as I started to move backwards. "I own the bookstore on Main Street," I curled my fingers around the reassuring cylinder in my bag. He said nothing but continued his slow approach. The timing had to be perfect. He had to be close enough to get the full force of the spray but not close enough to hurt me.

"We spoke about that original copy you own? _Ulysses_ originals are so hard to come by," my meaningless chatter didn't seem to deter him from his advance. When he was two feet away, I plucked the pepper spray out and sprayed him for 5 seconds. I didn't stop to see his reaction. I just turned and ran in the opposite direction. Towards the Damon.

I heard an enraged roar and chose to steal a look behind me and stumbled to a stop. He was nowhere to be found. Fear clawed at my throat and I span around to continue my ascent. The chest I bounced off was hard and I fell backwards. The face I stared into was that of a monster. I whimpered and tried to crawl out of his reach but he grabbed my arm and pulled me up into a standing position.

"Stefan, please just stop this," I tried pleading with him.

His face was dark with a grimace exposing inch long fangs. Eyes pooled with blood and rage stared at me with ravenous hunger. I tried to scream but he slapped his hand over my mouth and bent my head sideways. He paused for a second, grotesquely breathing in my scent, his nose inches away from my neck.

The last thing I saw before he bit me was Damon rushing down the driveway with impossible speed, a look of pure, unadulterated rage contorting his face.

I uttered one last word before Stefan's teeth ripped my throat open.

"Damon?"


	7. Bound To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura wakes up after her terrifying encounter with Stefan. She learns the truth about Damon and learns something about herself that shocks Damon and Elena.

> _I guess I asked for the truth_
> 
> _I guess I asked for it brutal and unchained_
> 
> _Wild Heart - Mumford & Sons_

I drifted in and out of consciousness. My unconscious mind flooded with fangs and blood at steady intervals. Flashes of memory interrupted them. Blood pooling around me staining my dress. A soft voice muttering obscenities as it cradled me in it’s warmth.

I often heard soft voices whispering unintelligibly nearby. They became clearer every now and then and I caught odd phrases but they made no sense to me. 

Everytime I thought I was waking up I was pulled under again.

When I woke up completely I was alone and in an unfamiliar room. The curtains were drawn and the room was dark. I laid back into the soft pillows and was enveloped by a faint lavender smell. 

Ben’s face flooded my brain as I breathed it in. Since moving to Mystic Falls I’ve tried my best to forget about him but I found myself missing him more than ever as the lavender settled around me. The text he’d sent me was probably a sincere gesture that I had ignored. I couldn’t find it in myself to hate the man who had always treated me with so much love and respect. The anger was still there but the feigned hatred made way for a throbbing ache in my chest. A sobbed escaped my mouth and I flinched when my throat protested.

I looked at the bedside and found a pitcher filled with water. I poured some in the cup that was on the table next to it and gulped it down. Trying to compose myself I sat up trying to clear some of the fog out of my heavy head. The scent of lavender was still faintly perfuming the air and I breathed it in, glad for the comfort it provided. The water had cleared my head and soothed the dry ache in my throat.

I tried to sift through the fog and found a few flashes of memory. I regretted trying to remember as Stefan’s face looked at me with ravenous hunger. My breathing hitched and I tried to remember what happened after… after he _bit_ me. I remember someone picking me up and hysterical crying... I also remember warm liquid on my lips. I shuddered. 

A soft knock sounded and I jumped up. The door creaked open and Elena came in with an apologetic look on her face. I relaxed a little.

“You’re up,” she said softly and made her way into the room. Her eyes strayed to my neck and I instinctively touched it. It felt smooth, just like it always does. I frowned. She walked to the window and opened the curtains. I flinched at the brightness.

“Listen Laura,” she said, taking a seat in one of the arm chairs near the window, “Damon is going to come up here any second now to try and make you forget what happened to you. But I wanted to apologize first.” I sat down in the chair opposite hers and looked at my hands.

“I’m so sorry for exposing you to all of this. It’s a dangerous secret that should be guarded better. We didn’t realise how bad Stefan had gotten. If we did we never would’ve let him wander through town,” she said earnestly, her brow furrowed slightly with worry. 

“That’s an understatement,” I croaked. My voice was hoarse from not speaking, “Your boyfriend bit me Elena. Do you realise how fucked up that is?” I asked her and met her gaze. She nodded and looked down in unmistakeable guilt.

“Now, if you don’t mind I would like to know why he did it?” I demanded and sat back into the chair. “I mean to be honest I think he’s a lunatic and should be in jail. Still, this has to go deeper than attempted homicide if I’m not in the hospital and you’re sitting here telling me calmly about your boyfriend’s, what? Eating habits?” Elena was uncomfortable. Good. 

“Laura, I-” Elena started but was cut short by the door barging open. Damon came sauntering in and I frowned. 

“I distinctly remember telling you to stay away from her, Elena,” he said with a small threatening smile on his face. Elena rolled her eyes and shot me an apologetic look. She got up and made to leave the room.

“Oh no,” I said and got up to grab her hand, “Listen, I want to know what happened. Plus, I have a deal with Mr Salvatore over here,” I demanded, jerking my head in Damon’s direction.

“We _had_ a deal until you decided to go AWOL,” Damon said sarcastically and approached me. I shrugged.

“Who says I was running away?” I asked coolly. He narrowed his eyes. 

"Listen Damon, if you’re going to compel her to forget we might as well just tell her,” Elena said imploringly but Damon paid her no attention.

“Do you have any idea how close you came to dying?” he hissed at me. I was taken aback by his intensity. Who would’ve thought the murderer cared for my fate?

“I am very much aware, thank you for your concern. Don’t you think I deserve to know _why_ I almost died?” I asked confrontationally. I stood up and crossed my arms. Our eyes locked and I could see all the anger, annoyance and anguish they held. It was impossible to discern how much of them were aimed at me. His eyes flicked down at my neck in concern and when they met mine again I could see he would concede. He threw his hands up in defeat. A pained look graced the features of his perfect face as he moved to go stand in the corner.

“So, um, let’s sit down,” Elena said and sat back down. She cleared her throat and glanced at Damon before beginning, “Stefan bit you because he’s a vampire,” she said simply, her face placid. Her eyes searched for a reaction in mine but I was careful to not react.

“Vampire,” I said simply and nodded my head slowly mulling over the word. I tried to think about what I expected to hear… it certainly wasn’t vampires. 

“Yes. He...he uh,” she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if it hurt her to think about what she was going to say, “He drained almost every drop of blood from your body before Damon showed up. Stefan has been struggling to control his… urges and you were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she continued avoiding my gaze. 

“I wasn’t the only person there, though,” I said, remembering the blonde girl who ran from the scene. 

“She’s ok, don’t worry. Damon has already compelled her to forget,” Elena said softly, her voice racked with guilt. I frowned.

“Elena, why do you sound like you’re the one who ran around biting people?” I asked harshly. Her guilt made no sense to me. She wasn’t the one who almost murdered me. Her mouth opened in surprise but I cut her off before she could speak, “He’s the monster not you.”

I looked at Damon standing in the corner. His face was a blank mask, I couldn’t read it at all. 

“Are you a vampire too?” I asked sarcastically. Some part of me didn’t believe them even though the evidence was overwhelming. The teeth, the blood… it all added up but it’s impossible… Vampires didn’t exist.

Damon laughed mirthlessly from the corner and came striding to where I was sitting. I held his gaze as he approached and before I could make any other comments his face changed. I recognised the dark protruding veins, the eyes darkening with blood and most notably the fangs. I shied away from him, my heart thudding in fear.

“Good, you should be afraid,” he hissed his face normal again. The hurt he tried to mask behind the severity wasn’t lost on me. I swallowed my fear and stood my ground.

“I’m not afraid,” I said softly. He knew I was lying but I couldn’t stand the look of pain that lingered for a moment on his face. He looked down hiding his face and went to sit down on the bed. 

He was a vampire. A dangerous, strong, mythological being designed to kill me and I felt bad for hurting his feelings. I uttered an incredulous laugh.

“Are you ok?” Elena asked softly and I turned my gaze to her in surprise. I’d forgotten she was there. With one last glance at Damon, I sat back down facing her.

“Yeah, I’m good. It’s just a lot to take in you know?” I said trying to mask my fear and confusion.

“It’s ok because you’ll be able to forget about it soon,” Elena looked at me steadily with encouragement in her eyes. I nodded slowly at once grateful and disappointed that I won’t remember. It felt unsafe not to know.

“Can we get on with it?” Damon asked curtly. 

“What’s with the attitude?” I asked, turning to face him.

“I have better things to do than explaining fairy tales to a human,” he hissed standing up. Anger bubbled over and got up and shoved my finger into his chest.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I hissed narrowing my eyes, “ _You_ are the one that got me into this mess in the first place. _You_ didn’t stay close to me like you promised. _You_ are the monster here, Damon. And you know what? It would be great if you just make me forget that I ever met you as well because you’ve made my life a living nightmare ever since we met.” I spat out my face flaring with rage. The tears pooled in my eyes and I wiped at my face furiously to get rid of them. As he listened to me his face melted from rage and annoyance to softer more pained look.

He didn’t say anything as he took Elena’s seat and pulled my hand gently so I sat down. As he reached up to touch my face he caught a stray tear. Another tear escaped and coursed down my cheek. 

“I want you to know that I’m sorry for not keeping a better eye on you. I…” he faltered, his voice strained, “I don’t normally save people but I’m glad I saved you.” My anger subsided as a memory surfaced of his distraught face above mine as he carried me away from Stefan. How he coaxed me to drink something, gently tilting my head up so I don’t choke. As he looked at me now I saw his eyes soften as he met my gaze. 

Before I could thank him he started talking and his velvet voice washed over me.

The smoothness of his voice wiped the last bit of anger from my heart and formed a tendril that wound around my mind and started prodding away. His eyes were flashing with a thousand different emotions as he talked. They were so unique, with a dark rim surrounding the light blue. 

“Laura,” Damon said, his tone suddenly changing. I came out of my reverie blinking my eyes. He was frowning, confused again.

“What happened to you two nights ago?” he asked urgently and I froze. Two days? I’ve been out for _two days_?

“O my God,” I exclaimed and jumped up scrambling for my keys, “My shop! Fuck, what am I going to tell Edward?” I muttered hysterically.

“Laura,” Damon said again, grabbing my arm. “What happened to you?” he asked and I glanced at him and then at Elena who was standing in the corner with her arms crossed. I was confused.

“Your brother bit me and almost killed me?” It came out like a question. Frowning, I realised his confusion and urgency. The mind control didn’t work.

“Fuck,” he whispered and turned to Elena who was just as confused as he is. “There shouldn’t be any vervain in her system. It should be long gone by now,” he told her and she frowned.

“Ok great, can we have this discussion at a later time when I know my store is doing ok?” I asked urgently, trying to take my hand out of Damon’s grip.

“Don’t worry Laura we got Jenna to run it for the last couple of days,” Elena said distractedly and I relaxed.

“I can’t compel her,” Damon looked at me incredulously. 

“This is bad Damon you have to try again,” Elena said, crossing her arms and pacing the length of the room. “We can’t risk her telling Jenna or getting caught up in all of this!”

“Ok Laura look at me,” Damon said and I turned to him. His eyes locked with mine and he started talking again.

“I need you to forget about Stefan’s outburst at the pageant two days ago,” he breathed and the tendrils caressed my memories again somehow having made their peace with not managing anything. I shook my head slowly and shrugged.

“You just sound like an idiot to me, I’m sorry,” I said and turned to Elena. I didn’t know what this meant for me. I knew their secret now. A dangerous secret that could mean life or death. 

“What are we going to do now?” Elena said worriedly and bit her thumb nail. 

“You go build the float and I’ll try and figure something out,” Damon ushered her out of the room. She left only after getting assurance from Damon that he’d figure it out. While they were gone I went to the bathroom and inspected my appearance. My hair was a haystack of bobby pins and hairspray. I was wearing a silk button up shirt that ended mid thigh with men's boxers underneath. I shuddered to think who put those on. Someone had at least taken off my makeup and cleaned the blood off my neck and face. The skin on my neck was smooth and scarless. I wondered how they’d managed that. 

The memory of Stefan’s teeth tearing through my skin was sharp and undiluted. 

“Nothing a bit of vampire blood can’t fix,” Damon had reappeared. He was leaning against the door jamb. 

“Vampire blood?” I asked unsure of what he meant.

“That's how we got your pretty throat all smooth again,” he said darkly and smiled. I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat. That explained the warm liquid I remember drinking.

“This keeps getting more messed up,” I said and sighed deeply. I started to take out all the bobby pins stuck in my hair. He watched from the door, a peculiar expression on his face.

“Do you take any mood suppressors? Or anxiety medication?” he asked and approached me. He picked out a pin I’d missed and dropped it on the counter continuing with the other ones I’d missed.

“Uhm, no actually,” I said thoughtfully, “I actually do take anxiety medication normally but I haven’t gotten my prescription renewed so I haven’t taken them in like a month.” I made a mental note to visit the pharmacist.

“Hm,” he said and plucked the last bobby pin out of my hair. It was still a mess but at least I could wash it now. 

“Your brain is weird,” He continued and left the room, “And to be honest I would prefer it if you weren’t a liability.” he returned with a towel in his hands a frown deepening his brow. His concern for my well being surprised me. All though I wasn’t exactly sure if it was for my well being or his. I could ruin his life if I told anyone about this. I stared at him leaning against the door. His beauty was distracting as it was effortless.

“Take a photo, it’ll last longer,” he smirked without moving from his position. I rolled my eyes and looked down smiling. 

“Listen, thank you for saving me back there,” I said, turning around to meet his gaze, “It means more than I can say.” he gazed at me intently. 

“No problem,” he said lightly and started making his way out of the bathroom, “I couldn’t let the second most interesting person in this town die.” he continued before closing the door but I saw a genuine smile twitching around the corners of his mouth before he closed the door. I rolled my eyes, fighting back a smile. His arrogance was as amusing as it was annoying. 

~

We spent the rest of the day in the living room downstairs with him trying to compel me every now and then but it didn’t work once. After a long thirty minutes in which he tried to get me to bunny hop around the room I told him to quit it.

“Listen this whole thing clearly doesn’t work on me so just stop,” I groaned and fell into the deep soft cushions of the couch. He frowned and went to the back of the couch. I heard glass clinking and turned to find him pouring himself a drink. 

“I’d love a glass, thank you for offering,” I said sarcastically. He smirked and poured me some of the amber liquid. The burn it left in my throat was welcoming in a worrying way. He plopped down next to me, sighing deeply. 

“I wish I trusted you enough to release you into town,” he said taking a swig of his drink, “Killing you definitely isn’t an option for obvious reasons,” I looked at him inquiringly and he cleared his throat, “We try to keep people who Elena’s family cares about safe. Hasn’t worked out the best in the past but we try,” he finished with a sideways glance.

“Well I’m grateful that I fall into that category,” I said feigning nonchalance. The weirdness of this conversation didn’t escape me but I felt a rush of happiness at the thought of being cared for by Jenna. Her friendship was precious and I had to make sure I took care of it. When I looked back at him I found his eyes already trained on me. 

“I just can’t figure it out,” he murmured softly and I had to look down at the intensity of his gaze, “Is your brain physiologically different? You’re definitely not a vampire… Why can’t I compel you?” he mused, still gazing intently at me.

“Maybe there’s something wrong with me?” I said jokingly. He smiled slightly and shook his head. He looked at the fireplace, the flames casting flickering shadows on his face. 

“I doubt that,” he said and took a deep swig of his drink, “Maybe your brain is more resilient than most.”

“Maybe,” I agreed, not taking my eyes off his profile. The attraction was undeniable. I couldn’t get enough of him but I also couldn’t get the image of his true face out of my mind. That was the only thing that stopped me from reaching out and touching his hand. 

“What if I just promise not to tell anyone?” I asked and he rolled his eyes, “Hear me out, I keep my promises… and… to be honest,” my guilt for hurting him was not enough to outweigh the fear I held for my safety, “I am terrified of… of all of this. I don’t want to have anything to do with it. I… I can’t watch in good faith while you explain away the actions of a monster,” my voice trailed off as I examined his face. The hurt I saw earlier had returned and I fought to keep the guilt at bay.

Even though his face was beyond perfection and I could see traces of a good man in him… I knew this was the right choice. I had to keep my distance from him if I wanted to feel safe and survive. I was irrevocably scarred by what his brother had done to me and I knew it would probably haunt me for years.

“I guess you don’t have any reason to be involved,” he grumbled and got up to pour himself another drink. I turned trying to make sense of his reaction.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him following his progress through the room as he walked to the fireplace. He stood with his back to me twirling his drink. 

“Let’s just say that for the first time in my life I find myself disappointed that a human fears me,” he said lightly, masking his hurt. It took all I had not to take everything back and tell him I was joking and that he wasn’t that scary at all. I couldn’t ignore that his true face was only one blood drop away from the surface. 

“I’m sorry that I hurt you,” I said softly, “But I really don’t want to be a part of this.” tears welled up in my eyes and I realised it was only partly true. I didn’t want part of the vampire stuff but I very much wanted to be a part of his life. The feeling of fear and attraction was confusing but I knew which one was the smarter choice. He nodded and turned to face me. His face was carefully composed.

“You’re free to leave, Laura,” he said and smiled slightly. I returned the smile and went to get my things. When I got back downstairs he was waiting by the door holding it open.

“Goodbye, Miss Swan,” he bowed formally and kissed my hand. I blushed just as I had the night we first met and when I left I stared at the house in my rearview mirror until it disappeared from view. 

~

The moment I got to the guest house I fell onto the bed. What an exhausting day. My head was pounding from Damon’s repeated mental assaults. There was also the sting of leaving a man that all my instincts had told me to be with. The guilt of saying that I was too scared to get to know him was also gnawing at me. I know that I shouldn’t feel bad necessarily. The fact that he never hurt me speaks volumes but who's to say that he hadn’t wanted to at some point? At some point in my rumination I realised I was hungry. Not feeling in the mood to cook I decided to call Jenna and ask her if he wanted to have dinner.

“ _Laura_!” Jenna said relieved, “ _I’m glad you’re feeling better_.” I wondered what story they gave her and I decided to go with it.

“Yeah I feel great. I’m much better... Listen, thank you so much for running the store. It saved my ass,” I said gratefully.

“ _It’s all good girl_ ,” she said and I could hear her smile on the other end.

“Can I bring some food round your place to say thank you?” I asked and when she said yes I hung up the phone and hurriedly grabbed my things. The pizza place was quick with my order and 20 minutes later I was knocking on Jenna’s door. She opened the door with a smile and let me in.

“To be honest nothing is worse than a stomach bug,” Jenna said later when the subject of my absence was broached again, “I was out for a week last time I had one.”

“A week? Damn, I guess I’m lucky mine only stuck around for a day or two,” I said smiling a little when she chuckled. We continued eating and after a while Jenna spoke again her expression thoughtful. 

“I don’t want to pry or anything but I saw you were hanging around Damon at the pageant,” she tried to sound nonchalant but I could tell she didn’t like it. The way her eyes stayed glued to her pizza slice made me think that she didn’t approve of us dating.

“Uhm, yeah,” I said and wiped my hand on a napkin thinking of an appropriate response that didn’t include vampires,”I’m not that interested in him. He was nice but the weird out weighed the hotness. We ended up going to Miss Mystic Falls together but it didn’t go so well,” I shrugged nonchalantly as if he was just a normal guy with whom I had a bad date. Jenna looked relieved and we clinked wine glasses at having no douchebags in our lives. 

We spent the rest of the evening chatting and she caught me up on everything at the store. She did say that Bella called at some point to ask whether I was ok because I hadn’t answered her calls.

“I told her about the stomach bug though, she understood completely,” Jenna said when she saw my eyes widen. I didn’t want Bella to worry unnecessarily. Even though she had every right to be worried. If she really knew what happened she would have been here already. 

Jenna’s front door opened then and we heard someone shuffle in. We got up to go look who it was only to find Jeremy helping John into the house. John was bleeding from his head and winced everytime he shifted his weight.

“Oh my God, what happened to you?” Jenna asked sarcastically but helped Jeremy get John to the kitchen. I stood in the foyer for a moment trying to compose myself. It was still weird to see John alive. I took a deep breath and followed them into the kitchen. Jenna had started dabbing at the head wound with a wet cloth while John muttered obscenities. He swatted at Jenna's hand and I saw a big clunky ring on his finger. This must be the ring Damon told me about. I asked Jenna where she kept the first aid kit and went to find it under the sink after she replied.

“Stupid stairs at the gril,” John muttered under his breath, “Missed the last one and hit my head against the railing. I feel like a moron,” he winced as Jenna placed a cotton pad soaked in surgical alcohol on his forehead.

“Shouldn’t have had that last glass of whiskey then?” I said and sat down next to him. He gave a short laugh and flinched. He obviously hurt his ribs as well. When Jeremy’s phone rang we all jumped a little.

“Hello?” he answered it wearily. I could hear a distinct voice in the background.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Uncle John hit his head. It was an accident,” he said dismissively.

“And we’re all laughing,” Jenna chimed in and me and Jeremy chuckled a little. John looked a little put out by being the butt of the joke.

“But I’m ok,” Jeremy said more seriously this time and hung up the phone.

We made sure that John didn’t need any stitches and Jenna sent him to bed with two pain pills in hand. I helped her clean up and said goodbye shortly afterwards thanking her again for taking care of the shop while I was away.

I was taking off my makeup that night when my phone rang. I wondered idly who would be calling this late and approached it. It was an unknown number. Shrugging I answered and was surprised when the person at the other end spoke.

“Laura,” Damon spoke curtly and formally. His velvet voice still sounded smooth over the phone and a pang of the guilt I felt earlier went through my chest.

“Damon,” I answered, mimicking his formal tone.

“I didn’t want to bother you so late but I can’t stop thinking about something you said earlier today,” he spoke quickly. Like he wanted to get the conversation over with. I was relieved in some way to hear his voice. Especially after convincing myself I won’t ever talk to him again. 

“What was it?” I asked and sat down on the bed trying to remember what I could have said that would stick with him the whole day.

“If you could forget that you met me, would you do it?” he asked. I froze as I remembered my outburst at his house. The anger that had preceded it was completely fueled by my frustration at his attitude and my undealt feelings about Ben’s betrayal. It just bubbled over and the anger had made me say things I regretted instantly. Did I want to forget that we ever met? Would I want to forget our first ever interaction? I don’t think so.

“No,” I answered softly, “But if I could forget everything that happened after we met… Well I’m trying to forget anyway without vampire mind control.”

He laughed mirthlessly. When he spoke again I could tell he was bothered by the comment.

“Always ruining everything,” he murmured.

“Maybe don’t throw a guy off a balcony next time you meet a nice girl at a party,” I tried to lighten the mood and gave a half hearted chuckle. He sighed on the other end of the phone.

“I agree,” when he spoke I could tell he was smiling, “I initially wanted to compel you to forget everything that happened after we met. I wanted to preserve that first impression. It was one of my best to be honest,” he said arrogantly and I had to roll my eyes.

“As far as first impressions go, it was pretty good,” I conceded and smiled slightly. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

“You still there?” I asked softly, finding myself missing his voice.

“Yeah,” he replied just as softly.

“I should probably go to bed,” I said, not wanting to do that in the slightest.

“Yes, it’s late. Goodnight Miss Swan,” he said gallantly and I pictured how he kissed my hand the first time we met. I blushed a little and bit my lip.

“Goodnight Mr Salvatore,” I whispered and hung up. I sat there on the bed for a few minutes clutching the phone in my hand. What if I try to forget about everything that happened and just focus on how he made me feel when we first met? He was such a gentleman... I shook my head. It would never work out… he wasn’t human.

What if he were human? I found myself thinking when I got into bed. I knew that if he were human and I’d met him that first night it would’ve been over for me. I would’ve fallen in love with him so quick I would’ve left all my good sense behind. We would have talked all night and drank so many drinks that when we said goodbye later that evening he would've kissed me sloppily. I would’ve giggled and kissed him back. 

It was too much to bear. The idea of losing something I never had was almost as bad as losing something I had for 6 years. I never saw myself having feelings like this for someone else other than Benjamin. It’s hard to acknowledge the fact that even if Ben came back now and begged me to forgive him, I would reject him. Damon has changed my heart with his dark smile and even darker secret. Maybe I lied to Damon, maybe I wanted to forget what it felt like to fall for a man I could never have.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If y'all want to you can listen to the playlist I made on Apple Music that has all the songs that feature in the beginning of the chapters and also has a bunch of other songs that I feel fits well with the story. Hang tight a lot will happen soon! the story is going so fast but it want the rest of the story to play out in the span of the second season. I am contemplating on making this a multiple part series so please let me know what you guys think! Also thanks to the peeps who left me kudos and everyone who's read it as well!


	8. Chemistry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura tries to come to terms with the fact that Damon is a vampire. And with her feelings for him. Why can't she stay away from him?

> _Why don't we rely on chemistry?  
>  Why don't we collide the spaces that devide us?_
> 
> _Superposition - Young The Giant_

“Ow, this dress hurts,” Elena groaned after Jenna finished the last tug on her corset. She was wearing a classic Civil War era dress. It was green with a big skirt and beautiful ribbons lining the neckline. Jenna smiled as she adjusted the dress on Elena’s shoulder.

“Suck it in, baby,” she said and she stood back admiring her handy work from afar. 

“Elena, you look great. I can’t even tell that you can’t breathe properly,” I said jokingly from the bed. Jenna and Elena chuckled. We were all crowded in Elena’s room preparing for the Founder’s Day parade. There was going to be floats, marching bands and cotton candy. Or that’s what Jenna told me. I also knew the vampire who tried to kill me would be on the float next to Elena. A fact that bothered me as much as it frightened me. I didn’t know how I was going to feel when I saw his face again. I shuddered.

“Damon told me he let you go and that he never managed the compulsion,” Elena had said this morning when I arrived with my curling iron. Jenna had asked me to bring mine because they left theirs at the venue for Miss Mystic Falls. I had nodded and she wrung her hands nervously.

“If Damon trusts you, I do too but please-” She started but I finished her sentence for her.

“Don’t tell Jenna,” I smiled comfortingly handing her the iron, “Don’t worry I got the rundown from Damon.” It hurt a little to say his name. He’d been a main feature in my dreams the previous night. The nature of these dreams made it hard to not think about him.

“Oop, we need to go or we’re gonna be late,” Jenna’s voice snapped me back to where I was sitting on Elena’s bed. We gathered our things and made our way to the car. The car ride was jovial with Jenna playing some 80 music and laughing when Elena disappeared behind her skirts.

“How did they sit with these things?” Elena’s muffled voice sounded from the back of the big hoop underskirt and we laughed even harder. It made me feel so much better and reminded me of Scarlett and how we would drive around Seattle with music blaring from my car speakers. I missed her.

She had called this morning gushing about a promotion she got at work. I was so proud of her and all her progress. She had worked for years for the position. When the call had ended I felt a twinge of disappointment that I wasn’t there to celebrate with her but I comforted myself with the fact that she had Ben to celebrate with.

When we got to the school it was teeming with people in costumes. Jenna busied herself with arranging Elena’s dress while the latter looked around anxiously. Probably looking for Stefan, I concluded. Jenna straightened up and went to find Alaric. Elena finally found Stefan and her face broke into a small smile. I chuckled softly and looked over and saw Damon. His black hair was glinting in the sun and his arrogant expression was flashing with amusement. Then he saw me and his gaze softened but when he saw Elena his eyes widened.

Stefan turned and I wasn’t prepared to see his face so vivid and clear in the sun.

My hand flew to my neck as my breath caught in my throat. I let out a strangled apology and stumbled away fighting to catch my breath. His face brought back the sharp image of his shirt stained with blood and my own dress darkening as I lay dying. I sat down on a bench and turned my face skyward with closed eyes. The sun was shining brightly today and I found myself grateful for it. I missed Forks but the sun here was so warm and it made my skin hum with contentment. My breath slowed down to a deep rhythm. It made me feel better as the anxiety of seeing Stefan’s face bled away. 

Damon’s soft gaze had reminded me of our conversation of the previous night. The longing crept up my throat as I remembered the way he’d murmured to me over the phone. The vulnerability he had shown had surprised me as much as it softened me. It had not made my resolve to stay away from him strengthen. My dreams hadn’t either. It had taken all I had not to go to him when I saw him standing in the sun. I opened my eyes squinting as they adjusted to the brightness. Jenna was approaching me with an annoyed look on her face.

“I wish Damon would leave Elena and Stefan alone. He should really get some friends his own age,” she sat down next to me and glared in his direction where he was watching Elena and Stefan talk a few steps away. I cleared my throat trying to forget how Damon had touched me in my dream. 

“You do realise if he does he’ll have to hang out with us,” I said and nudged her chuckling. 

“Oh dear God, no,” she laughed as well and I realised Alaric wasn’t with her.

“Couldn’t find Ric?” I asked and she shook her head.

“No, he’s running a little late. He‘s in charge of the historical float,” She said chewing on some popcorn she’d gotten in her search. I grabbed a handful and ate with her as we watched the students swarm the campus. I remembered parades back in high school. It wasn’t as lively as this because we always had to take precaution for the rain. Most parade days ended up in the gym with the float being exhibited rather than driven. I remembered senior year the sun was shining and me and Ben had won prom king and queen. We were on our own separate float. I was so excited about that. 

The memory of his hand on my waist and Scarlett’s broad smile glinting from the next float over was vivid and sharp. While it was a fond memory it was coloured with melancholy for me now.

“I do not know what I would’ve done in a town like that. I love the sun,” she said after I told her of my experience with parades. 

“Just wish for your part Ben turned out better,” she said comfortingly and I giggled, “This town is full of eligible bachelors just dying to get to know you!”

“Yeah, she’s a catch,” I hadn’t seen Damon approach us but he was standing to the side of the bench leaning against the wall. 

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to eavesdrop, Damon?” Jenna asked scathingly, he smiled in his arrogant way and sat down on the other side of me making the bench really crowded.

“That’s Ric,” Jenna said and got up quickly. I didn’t see Alaric anywhere but she gave me a pointed stare.

“Go ahead, I’ll find you,” I said trying to sound casual. If I was smart I would join her and I knew that spending time with Damon would make everything that much worse.

“So the guy’s name is Ben, huh?” he asked and stretched his arm out on the back of the bench lightly brushing my shoulder as his hand passed. I nodded and tried to ignore the spark of electricity that ran down my spine at the touch.

“Yeah,” I then took the risk to look at his face. His eyes looked translucent in the sun, his skin luminous.

“Sounds like a prick,” he smirked and glanced at me with an arrogant expression. I rolled my eyes but smiled at the attempt at comfort.

“Not really,” I said. I cleared my throat at the sudden emotion that bubbled up, “He just made an unforgivable mistake. I’m sure you’ve made a few of those. As we’ve all had,” I said softly. He nodded his head slowly as he watched Elena and Stefan make their way to the float. 

“Yes, I do. And no one will let me forget it,” he said through gritted teeth and I struggled to understand the reaction.

“If it was really unforgivable they would’ve gotten rid of you already,” I nudged his shoulder with a small smile. He rolled his eyes as a reluctant grin tugged at his lips.

“That’s a good point… I might have to clean up my act to keep them from fleeing across the country to get rid of me,” he responded and nudged me back. I chuckled and watched as a large group of people started heading towards the road. When Damon grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the street I panicked a little.

“What’s going on?” I asked, stumbling behind him. He looked over his shoulder with a skew grin and I had to smile back, the anxiety bleeding away.

“We’re going to miss the float if we stand around talking about sad shit,” I felt relieved and he let my hand go when we were submerged in the crowd. My hand felt strangely empty without his tugging it along. We watched as the floats started coming down the street. The mayor’s wife’s voice rang out over the clapping and yelling crowd. The atmosphere was electric and I smiled and clapped along with everyone else. Elena and Stefan approached and we waved and smiled at them. 

“Doesn’t this make you miss High School?” I called over the din to Damon. He smirked knowingly.

“When I was this age public school wasn’t really a thing,” he called back and stared at him in shock and confusion.

“Immortal, remember,” he said in my ear sending goose bumps up my arms. The gears in my head were spinning at a dizzying speed. How old was he? I turned to ask him but he was staring at a younger girl who was looking back with disdain, her green eyes flashing with dislike.

“What do you want?” she asked disdainfully ignoring my presence. Damon smirked and approached her. I decided to stick back but kept an ear open to listen to the conversation.

“Just watching the parade,” Damon said casually and smirked. She rolled her eyes and started to walk away. Damon followed her and I moved inconspicuously to stay in earshot.

“Where are you going?” he asked when he caught up with her. I turned to look at them only a few steps away now. 

“Away from you,” she said without slowing down.

“I wanted to say something to you,” Damon said and she turned to him defensively.

“Just leave me alone,” she said and stopped walking facing him with squared shoulders.

“Thank you,” he said. I saw her look at him silently as if trying to find a catch in his behaviour.

“The device that Emily spelled could have killed me,” he said softly and I had to strain my ears to hear, “I don’t take what you did lightly, so thank you,” Damon was sincere. 

“I did it for Elena,” she retorted but the severity had left her voice.

“I know that but I am still very grateful,” he said, “and I owe you.” he finished. She stared at him cautiously. I wonder what had happened that made her regard him with such hostility. Had to be vampire stuff, I concluded and gave him a smile when he returned to my side a few moments later.

“What was that about?” I asked and he shook his head.

“Vampire stuff,” he said with a smirk and I rolled my eyes. He was right, I had said I didn’t want anything to do with the vampire stuff but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious.

“So,” I said a few minutes later as I nibbled on some cotton candy I had gotten myself, “How old are you exactly?” I tried to ask nonchalantly even though the question didn’t lend itself to nonchalance.

“It’s rude to ask a lady her age,” he said, throwing me a sideways glance with a smirk plastered on his face. I rolled my eyes. “But if you really want to know… I was born on June 18th 1839,” he looked at me and I made an effort to keep my face politely intrigued. He was 170 years old.

“That’s… really old,” I said uttering a startled laugh and stopped to look at him. 

“I still look good though… for an old man,” he said smiling lopsidedly and I had to silently agree. The black of his shirt contrasted harshly with the pale skin of his forearms. I looked away, clearing my throat. I caught him smiling slightly when I met his gaze again. My cheeks flared.

“Anyways, let’s talk about you,” he said when we started walking again.

“What on earth would a 170 year old person want to know about me? A twenty-something marketing specialist from Seattle?” I asked sarcastically. 

“That’s already two things I didn’t know about you,” he smirked, “Any family?”

“Mum and Dad, divorced. A little sister who is already a mom, so I’m an aunt as well,” I said picking at the cotton candy. Renesmee’s small face was round and sweet in my memory. I hoped that I would get to see her soon.

“Hm, where are you from?” he continued questioning me without stopping to comment on what I said. 

“Forks, Washington originally. I moved to Seattle to go to college,” I said, oblivious as to why this might interest him.

“Did you just say Forks?” he stopped short. Turning to him, I nodded and frowned when he looked surprised and intrigued.

“Why? Do you know it? Most people don’t,” I said snorting slightly. 

“I know someone who lives there,” he mused, “Haven’t spoken to him in a while though.” he shrugged and held open a door for me. Music and the sound of pool balls bumping each other sounded from the inside.

“I finally found the bar,” I said laughing when we entered. He led me to the bar where we ordered tequila on the rocks.

“You know, I am not that interesting,” I said after taking a small sip of the golden liquid. 

“I beg to differ. A human waltzes into town with a brain that I am unable to manipulate… that makes you fascinating,” he smirked behind his glass.

“Ok sure,” I conceded, shrugging, “I could be a little interesting but, I mean, do I outshine the vampire who was alive during the Civil War? No, not by a long shot,” I swallowed the last of my drink trying to fish out a cube of ice. 

“It was a long time ago,” he said twirling his drink, his eyes far away. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” I said gently. He shrugged.

“No, I can barely remember anything so... Nothing to pry,” he smiled and I nodded unconvinced by his nonchalance.

"You know," I said after ordering a new drink, "You're not so bad... for a vampire," I smirked and took a sip. He smiled crookedly.

"You're not so bad either... for a human," I rolled my eyes.

“Laura!” Jenna’s voice beckoned me from the other side of the bar. I smiled at her and she beckoned to Damon with her head, a warning look on her face and I shrugged.

“Ok, I’m gonna go ahead and join Jenna,” I said getting up, “Uhm, see you later?” I asked, meeting his gaze and he turned to look at Jenna who shot him a scathing look.

“We’ll have to dodge Jenna,” he said sarcastically, smirking. I rolled my eyes and went over to where Jenna was standing with her hands on her hips. Looking for all the world like a mother about to chide her kid.

“Laura, I thought we don’t associate with douches anymore?” she asked only half joking. Genuine concern was veiled underneath the amused tone. 

“It’s ok Jenna,” I tried to say comfortingly, “We just ran into each other here,” I was lying to my only friend in this town just to hide the fact that I was undeniably attracted to a vampire. Jenna relaxed visibly and we got a booth. 

“What were you guys even talking about?” Jenna asked as we looked at the menu. I shrugged.

“I was basically talking the whole time, I think he’s obsessed with me,” I added jokingly, shooting a glance at him where he was sitting at the bar. I hoped he didn’t have superhuman hearing but was disappointed when he barked out a laugh making the bartender jump in surprise. Embarrassment crawled up my spine.

“Wouldn’t be surprised. He has all the traits of a psychopath that’s why I’m telling you to stay away from him,” she said in a low voice and I nodded trying to hide my reddening cheeks behind the menu.

“No, I really get it Jenna, don’t worry. It was just one conversation,” I said placatingly. She nodded seemingly satisfied with my assurance.

“Anyway, I was thinking of getting a more permanent living situation. Do you know any nice places in town I could check out?” I asked desperately trying to get the topic of Damon off the table. It worked very well and we dived into all the nice apartment buildings in town comparing distance from the shop and how many stairs I’d have to climb if I were to live there.

We spent a few hours in the grill eating and chatting about everything from angsty teenagers to embarrassing sex stories. 

“Shit, we’re going to miss the fireworks show!” Jenna exclaimed after we had gotten done laughing over one of her exes asking to suck her toes. We grabbed our things and hurried out of the Grill. The street was crowded with people and we tried to make our way to the town square where the fireworks would be. During the struggle of elbowing my way through the crowd I got separated from Jenna. I stopped to look around for her. The crowd was milling around me as I slowed to look for her. I was calling out her name before coming to a full stop, when someone walked into me from behind making me fall forward onto my hands and knees scraping my hands in the process.

“Fuck,” I murmured, “No, it’s ok don’t worry about it.” I assured the person who had bumped into me. She was still apologizing profusely when she stopped abruptly staring at my hand.

Beads of blood formed on my palms and I hurriedly wiped them on my jeans hoping she wasn’t hemophobic.

When she looked at me I realised my mistake. Eyes filled with blood and framed by protruding veins stared at me in undeniable hunger. I swallowed my fear and turned to run. Knowing Damon and Stefan’s urgent need for secrecy I hoped for dear life the vampire I had just encountered held the same urgency. I ran without looking back.


	9. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After encountering a tomb vampire Laura seeks help from Damon. They share an intimate moment before everything is shattered.

> _Don’t follow me  
>  You’ll end up in my arms_
> 
> _Slow Dancing In The Dark - Joji_

_Previously:_

_When she looked at me I realised my mistake. Eyes filled with blood and framed by protruding veins stared at me in undeniable hunger. I swallowed my fear and turned to run. I ran without looking back_.

_~_

When I reached a thinning of the crowd I chanced a glimpse behind me and abruptly smashed into someone else. I fell to the ground cursing. I was relieved that I didn’t see the vampire following me. 

“What the fuck?” the man I ran into turned around and I almost wept in relief when I saw it was Damon. When he reached out a hand to help me up I declined. The reaction from the previous vampire had made me weary of exposing him to blood. I sprang up quickly wiping my hands again on my jeans.

“Thank god it’s you,” I panted, trying to catch my breath. 

“You’re bleeding, what happened?” he asked, frowning. I held up a finger indicating that I needed a second.

“She probably ran into one of the tomb vampires, Damon. They’re here,” a girl’s voice spoke up from behind him. I looked around Damon to see the girl Jeremy had talked to at the pageant. Is all of Jenna’s family members involved with vampires?

“I don’t know about tomb, but I definitely ran into a vampire back there,” I said, jabbing my thumb in the direction of the grill.

“Fuck,” he hissed, quickly scanning the churning crowd around us, “Ok, come on.” he said and grabbed my hand. We parted ways with the girl and marched back to the Mystic Grill where Alaric was standing speaking to a bunch of people.

“Where are we going?” I asked, keeping pace with him and trying to keep my eyes out for the stranger who wanted to suck my blood.

“Ric, he has what we need to keep this from turning into a bloodbath,” he said through gritted teeth. For the first time since running into him I felt fear making my heart thud a little faster. We reached Alaric and Damon grabbed him by the arm.

“Ric, come here,” he said in a low voice. Alaric immediately picked up on his urgent tone and followed him as we walked at a brisk pace away from the group.

“Do you keep those nifty little vampire weapons in your car?” Damon asked, still walking his eyes scanning the crowd.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” Alaric asked with a worried look in my direction. 

“Because this square is crawling with tomb vampires. I think we might need a stake or two,” Damon murmured. Alaric gave the crowd a cursory glance, gritting his teeth in apprehension.

“OK, got it,” he said and sped off into the milling crowd of people unaware of how much danger they’re in. Damon set off in the opposite direction before I caught up with him grabbing his hand.

“Tell me what the fuck is going on?” I asked him urgently. He gritted his teeth and towed me along. 

“All you need to know is that there is a group of murderous vampires on the loose and they would very much like to kill half of this town,” he said in an urgent voice, “They’re really old and really fast so we have to kill them before they kill us, got it?” he asked impatiently and I nodded letting him pull me along. We approached a couple walking in front of us laughing and holding hands. I recognised Stefan’s form and balked, stumbling over my steps. Damon pulled me along keeping me from falling. He grabbed onto Elena’s hand and she abruptly stopped laughing, frowning at me hanging onto his other hand trying to avoid looking too closely at Stefan.

“What are you doing?” she asked incredulously.

“Saving your life,” he muttered and brought us all to a stop, “Fifteen words or less; tomb vamps are here, founding families are the target, get them out of here, now.” He was talking to Stefan who had spun around scanning the crowd for potential threats. He jammed my hand into Elena’s and started to walk away. 

“Where are you going?” I called after him. He waved dismissively.

“That’s more than fifteen words. Go with them, Laura,” he demanded and jogged into the crowd. Stefan turned to me and Elena. He pulled at her hand starting to lead us away.

“Wait, Jeremy’s still around here somewhere,” Elena said her voice wracked with worry. I immediately started to scan the crowd for his hunched form.

“Let’s go find him,” Stefan said and we set off into the crowd. 

“I think I saw him in the Grill before Jenna and I left,” I called out over the sound of the crowd clapping for the mayor who had just taken the stage. We elbowed our way through the crowd running when we could.

“And we have the Founding Fathers to thank for that. That’s why I would like to dedicate tonight’s fireworks display to their legacy,” the mayor’s voice sounded from behind us. The crowd was thickening and it became harder and harder to navigate it. We finally reached the end and strode in the direction of the Grill. Elena’s hand was slippery in mine. When the first firework boomed over the square, Stefan collapsed.

“FUCK!” he exclaimed, clamping his hands over his ears. Elena and I exchanged a concerned glance before kneeling down beside him.

“Stefan, what’s going on?” Elena asked hysterically. She rubbed his back frantically while he groaned in unmistakable pain. I glanced around scared that we were drawing attention. I could already see a deputy hurrying towards us.

“My head,” was all Stefan could muster before dissolving in another bout of pained grunts as he clutched his head. 

“Laura, help me. We need to get him out of here,” Elena said and I tore my eyes away from the deputy and tried to heave Stefan into a standing position. The fact that I was helping someone who had wanted to kill me was shoved roughly to the back of my mind. 

“Stefan, you have to help,” I murmured in his ear but he seemed oblivious to the outside world. I turned around and saw the deputy’s pace fasten to a jog as he advanced. His urgency made me anxious and I tugged at Stefan’s arm.

“Stefan for the love of God, get up,” I said through gritted teeth. When I glanced behind me again the deputy had disappeared and it was Alaric running to us now. I breathed a sigh of relief. Stefan’s body abruptly relaxed as fast as he had collapsed and he slumped against me.

“Jesus, Alaric,” I groaned trying not to crumble underneath Stefan’s weight, “Help.” Alaric came up to Stefan’s other side and we dragged him along. His breathing was laboured and he had a faint sheen of sweat covering his forehead.

“I don’t know what happened! He just dropped,” Elena said, casting a worried look behind her as she followed us. Alaric panted as we lugged Stefan’s limp form down a flight of stairs.

“Yeah he isn’t the only one,” he said as we settled on the stairs. I sat back trying to catch my breath, “The cops are going to everyone who's gone down, injecting them with vervain.” There was a moment of silence.

“What’s vervain?” I asked.

“Uh…” Alaric sent a look in Elena’s direction. She nodded distractedly trying to get Stefan to talk, “It’s like kryptonite to vampires. It weakens and repels them. The perfume Jenna gave you had some in it; Elena was the one who suggested that she give it to you.” 

So that’s why Damon had sniffed my neck that day. I felt a pang of gratitude towards Elena.

“Are you ok, Stefan?” Elena asked, stroking his hair. He nodded.

“It was like needles piercing my skull and then it just stopped,” he said gruffly, rubbing his eyes. It felt hard to hate him in a state like this.

“I saw at least 5 vampires go down. They’re taking them to your family’s old building,” Alaric said looking at Elena.

“Your father’s offices? Why?” I asked, frowning. Jenna had been trying to sell it in between research for her thesis. Elena frowned and shook her head. We sat in silence for a moment.

“It’s the Gilbert device,” Stefan piped up after a few seconds, “It has to be.” I frowned in confusion.

“Wait, what’s that?” I asked but Elena and Stefan only continued to look at each other. 

“But how did they get it to work? Bonnie unspelled it…” Elena looked at Alaric for affirmation. He shrugged.

“Maybe she didn’t,” he said. When I uttered an annoyed huff he turned to me, “It’s basically a weapon designed to identify vampires.” I nodded and frowned. Something was gnawing at the back of my head.

“But she did, we saw her do it,” she said, a note of hysteria creeping into her voice. 

“He’s right. Think about it. We ask Bonnie to deactivate a weapon that could protect people against vampires,” Stefan said dejectedly.

“Yeah, to protect you,” she said slowly resting her hand lovingly on his shoulder.

“And Damon… Vampires,” he said. They stared at each other. It clicked. We hadn’t seen Damon since before the fireworks display.

“Fuck, where’s Damon?” I asked, jumping up and racing to the top of the stairs scanning the crowd for his black hair. I was joined by Elena and Stefan who had yet to regain his strength. 

“Laura, listen,” Stefan started but I held a hand up.

“It’s ok Stefan,” I said avoiding his gaze, “No harm done,” I tried to make light of the situation knowing that it wouldn’t help hating him. His face was pained as he gazed at me.

“I’m better now, I promise,” he said gruffly, “I just also want to thank you for helping Elena back there.” I nodded.

“No problem,” I said, patting his back, “I think it’s time we try and find your brother,” he nodded and we set off to the Gilbert Medical Practice with Elena leading the way. 

“Wait,” Stefan said when we reached the main street, “I can hear them… the building’s on fire,” he said quickening his pace. Panic clawed at my chest. Damon was stuck in a burning building. I hung back for a second trying to regain my composure. When I felt like my breathing was under control I saw Elena and John in a heated conversation. Stefan was nowhere to be found.

I approached them with long strides.

“Get your hands off her,” I growled at him. His eyes flashed with contempt when he turned to me. My gaze didn’t falter. He was only human after all. I’ve faced worse.

“This is none of your business,” he said coolly and turned to Elena. I drew a deep breath, wound my hand back and punched him in the jaw. 

“Fuck!” I yelled while Elena took the chance to escape his grasp, “That really hurt, Jesus,” John was reeling his hand on his jaw. 

“What have you done?” he growled.

“I broke my hand trying to help my friend’s niece. Back off or I’ll tell the cops you’re a pedophile,” I hissed at him and followed Elena to what could only be the back entrance of the building.

The smell of smoke intensified as I ran down the alley. Two figures were standing by the door, the one holding on to the other. Elena was holding hands with the girl Damon talked to earlier at the parade. 

“What’s going on?” I asked frantically searching for signs of Stefan and Damon. The girl, who could only be Bonnie, was chanting in a language I wasn’t familiar with.

“Bonnie, I have to get in there,” Elena tugged at her arm but Bonnie ignored her. I moved to keep Elena from entering the building despite fighting back the urge to run in there myself. It made no sense for me to risk my life for a man I barely knew but I found myself being distressed at the thought of him dying. 

“What is happening, Bonnie? What are you doing?” Elena tugged on her arm as Bonnie continued to chant in her creepy way. A trail of blood was now making its way down her face. Her hair billowed in the wind that picked up and I felt goose bumps run up my arms and neck.

Elena got more frantic the longer Bonnie’s chanting went on. I tried to come to terms with the fact that they might be dead or close to it when they burst through the door in a billow of smoke and a fit of coughs. I almost threw up with relief.

“Thank fucking God!” I covered my face with my hands.

“Miss me sunshine?” Damon managed between coughing his lungs out. I rolled my eyes and supported him from the other side.

“It’s remarkable how you could still manage sarcasm after almost dying,” I muttered sarcastically and we shared a look. 

Damon noticed I was cradling my hand to my chest and asked what had happened. 

“I uh… might have punched Uncle John in the face,” I said sheepishly, casting an apologetic look in Elena’s direction. She waved her hand dismissively. 

“It was the most heroic thing anyone did today, believe me.”

“Yes well heroic or not I might have actually broken my hand,” I tried to flex my hand but flinched when pain shot through it. 

“Ok,” Damon said softly after Stefan and Elena went ahead of us to the car, “They will not like me doing this but I’m going to give you some of my blood. Just enough to heal you but you have to promise me you won’t get into any life threatening situations before it leaves your system. Can you do that?” he asked earnestly, looking me steadily in the eyes. I nodded solemnly, sobered by his intensity. 

“If you don’t and you die with it in your system, you’ll become a vampire,” he finished seriously. My stomach turned in fear. The thought of dying in the first place made my heart race but the idea of becoming a vampire made it that much worse. 

“Ok, I promise,” I said. I realised I technically could go to a doctor but I wasn’t in the mood to think out an excuse as to why I punched John. I also wasn’t in the mood to talk to police about it either. 

Damon brought his wrist to his mouth and bit down, creating a small cut. He held it to my mouth and I reluctantly opened it letting the warm liquid flow into it. It tasted like blood but less metalic. I swallowed a mouthful and the pain in my wrist dulled considerably. He took his arm away from my mouth and gently grabbed my uninjured hand. We watched as the scrapes of the fall vanished, leaving smooth, white skin in its place. I rotated my wrist experimentally and marveled when I felt no pain or resistance. 

“Thank you,” I breathed and caught his eye. He smirked and held onto my hand for a second longer before planting a kiss on it. It made my heart skip erratically. 

“You’re a liar you know,” he said, and he started walking towards where he must have parked his car. He dropped my hand after a few steps and met my questioning gaze, “You said you wanted nothing to do with me yet here you are saving my ass,” he smirked when I rolled my eyes. 

“I didn’t say I _wanted_ to stay away from you,” I avoided his gaze, “It’s the right thing to do though.” I heard him sigh next to me. He grabbed my hand again forcing me to a stop. He pulled me in close and cradled my face in his hands, our noses brushing against each other.

“I’ve tried to distance myself from you,” he murmured, “I know that it’s better for you. All that waits for you with me is danger and heartbreak. But somehow…” he broke off mid sentence and looked in my eyes. They were smoldering with intensity.

He gently pressed his lips to mine, burning them with his heat. I closed my eyes and stood motionless, absorbing every detail of this moment. When I opened them again he was gone. My lips still burned from his and I touched them softly marveling at the softness of his kiss. I shouldn’t be kissing him, I thought angrily despite my euphoria. I should be staying the fuck away from him. I cleared my throat and took in my surroundings. I was down the street from the burning building and I decided to see if I could find Jenna.

I found her standing in front of the building watching the blaze with her hands on her hips.

“You know, I would be sad,” she said thoughtfully after a moment of silence, “But I’m really glad I don’t have to deal with it anymore,” she sounded like she was joking but her face betrayed her true sadness. I threw my arm around her shoulders and she leant her head on mine.

“I’m sorry I disappeared,” I said softly, feeling horrible for abandoning her, “I fell when I was looking for you and then I ran into Damon again...” I rolled my eyes and hoped she would see the feigned irritation there. I fought hard to contain the flutters in my stomach every time I thought of the kiss.

“It’s ok,” she said and we started to make our way to her car, “The fireworks kept me company.” We laughed and went to her place.

“I have to go to the Fire Station. The amount of paperwork this will cost me is astounding,” Jenna groaned as she gathered all the paperwork she would need. I nodded sympathetically. The house had been quiet when we arrived but we found Jeremy in his room. His headphones were blaring music and he didn’t notice us checking in. Elena was on her way to stay with him when Jenna went to the Fire Station.

“If Elena would just show up, I could get this over with,” Jenna looked at her watch. She didn’t want to leave Jeremy alone, “This is going to take long enough as it is,” 

“Listen, I would love to join you but I think I should go home,” I said stretching. It had been a long and bizarre day. All I needed at that point was a shower and my bed. 

“You sure? It’s gonna be super exciting,” she said sarcastically as we made our way to the door. 

“Ah damn,” I feigned disappointment, “How will I ever recover from the FOMO?” Her laugh was cut short when she opened the door. Mine died down as well when I saw Elena and Damon locked in a passionate embrace on the porch. They immediately broke away. Elena looked at Jenna sheepishly.

Damon tried to catch my eye but I looked down. The kiss from earlier had clearly meant nothing to him, despite what he had said. Tears of betrayal threatened to escape my eye but I grit my teeth and tried to hold them back. 

“It’s late,” Jenna said curtly, “You should probably come inside,” Elena scrambled for her things and I moved over when she crossed the threshold. I gave Jenna a hug goodbye and I saw her shoot a look of disapproval in Damon’s direction.

“I can explain,” Damon said after Jenna had closed the door and we had stood in silence for a while. I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 

“It’s none of my business who you kiss, Damon,” I said and turned to walk to my car. Damon caught up with me and captured my hand in his.

“I know,” he said softly, “But I feel like I owe you one anyway especially after…”

“After the kiss?” I asked, shrugging it off, “Clearly it meant nothing, which is ok,” I said, taking my hand out of his. The hurt I was feeling was manifesting in defensiveness, “Am I glad you’re not dead? Yes. Did I enjoy your company today? Yes, more than I should have, actually, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get to kiss whoever you want.”

“You’re wrong,” he said fiercely, “It did mean something and-“

“No, Damon, it didn’t,” I hissed, “If it did you wouldn’t be kissing someone else. It should mean nothing any way because this is wrong and you know it.” I gestured wildly between us.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“This! Us… While I care for you more than I should I can see that this will never work… you’re not human, Damon. That means something to me,” His face contorted in pain. I knew I hurt him but what does that matter when he hurt me first.

“You care for me?” he asked, his eyes softening. My eyes welled up with tears and shook my head trying to deny it.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said thickly and turned to my car, “I’m not stupid enough to fall for a vampire,” I whispered and got in. I started the car and sped off to the guest house fighting tears the whole way.

There was a hush over the house when I arrived. I took a moment in the car to slow my breathing. The tears never fell but it left my head pounding with the effort to contain them. I took a deep breath and got out making my way slowly up the stairs. When I got to the landing I ran into someone and dropped my bag. It was a tall, tan guy with salt and pepper hair. I wondered whether every man in Mystic Falls was handsome. 

“Sorry,” he apologised and hastily grabbed my bag from the floor.

“That’s ok.”

“Mason,” he said smiling gently at me. I wondered idly whether he was flirting with me or if he saw the sadness on my face.

“Laura,” I smiled and opened the door to my room and closed it on him and his blue eyes. 

When I realised there was a light on, I froze my back still to the room. I turned slowly and froze when I saw the person sitting on the bed. 

It was Benjamin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oo is this a cliffhanger? Two in a row? How dare I? :'D Anyways, hope you guys liked this one. All hell is going to break out and soon.


	10. Precipice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Ben appears in Laura's room she is baffled but relieved to see a familiar face. Can they overcome Ben's indiscretions? Will she be able to keep him safe from the dangerous vampire in town?

> _We could call it even_
> 
> _You could call me babe for the weekend_
> 
> 'Tis the damn season - Taylor Swift

I took him in. He was wearing his work clothes, a white button up shirt with navy trousers. His skin was slightly tan and I wondered when he could've gotten it. He rose slowly from the bed, his hands raised in a conciliatory manner. I gently placed my bag on the floor and crossed my arms. Despite the joy I felt at his presence, I also felt defensive and suspicious. Especially after the day I've had.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, meeting his blue gaze. I realised how different he and Damon were. Not only was Ben undeniably human but his eyes were like an ocean. Blue and green and teal mixing together to make his gaze impossible to avoid.

"I got worried after you didn't reply to my text," he said, looking down in shame. He knew this wasn't a good enough reason to come. He could've called Scarlett and heard from her if I was doing all right. My gaze softened and I approached him.

"I'm sorry I never replied," I said softly, "I got busy and to be perfectly honest… I didn't know what to tell you." he nodded in understanding. "That being said, I am so fucking happy to see you." I said and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. I felt his strong arms winding around me and felt safe for the first time in weeks.

"How did you know where to find me?" I asked later. We were sitting on the chairs near the window, each with a much needed glass of wine. After getting through all the pleasantries, the conversation started to take a more serious turn.

"I got your address from Edward. He gave it to me after Bella basically chucked me out of Charlie's house," he said regretfully. I chuckled and imagined the scene. Bella, looking fierce with her weird eyes and cussing Ben out with her strange voice.

"I'm sorry about that," I said and he waved his hand dismissively, "I told them about everything. Edward is a romantic though so I'm not surprised he gave the address to you."

"It's ok, I wasn't surprised," he said smiling slightly. The conversation died down for a minute and we both took several sips of wine.

"Why are you here, Ben?" I whispered softly after a few moments of tense silence, my eyes trained on the lipstick stained rim of my wine glass. After clearing his throat he turned to me with pained eyes. I met them reluctantly, knowing I wouldn't be able to look away.

"I felt like I needed to apologise properly," he said formally, looking steadily at me, "I messed up and I should've told you everything from the start and while I know you should probably never forgive me, I want to ask you if you could find it in yourself to give me another chance."

I pursed my lips and gently put my glass down. He sat in front of me with his heart on his sleeve asking me to forgive him. Can I do that? I remember how I felt when he told me that he'd cheated on me. How my stomach had dropped my heart had shattered. How I still felt the pain in my chest if I thought about him for too long. But then I looked into his eyes and I remembered everything we had been through. I gazed at him, wondering what would happen if I did forgive him.

"Let's say I do forgive you," I said, crossing my legs, "What would that mean for us? Do you think we'll ever be the same?" I asked, my eyes searching his. He sat back into the chair holding my gaze.

"No," he said softly, "But I will not rest until I've made this up to you, Laura," he said earnestly. My heart softened and I could imagine it. How we could move on from this and start new. The vision cut off when I remembered Damon. He kissed me tonight and while I knew that shouldn't change things… it did. I had feelings for him and it would be unfair to keep denying it. To myself and to Ben.

"I really want to," I said, reaching over and grabbing his hand, "But I have to be honest with you… I met someone… and it's so stupid to say this out loud but I have feelings for him… It's hard to admit to you but it's the truth and I don't know if I'm ready to just dive back in with you," saying it made it real and I took a deep breath. Admitting my feelings to Damon was harder that I had thought.

Ben looked at me steadily and I wondered what was going on inside his head. His hand was still in mine and I felt him grasping it tighter.

"Laura, I will do everything I can to make this work," he said intensely his ocean eyes glinting with passionate tears, "I'll even get rid of this guy if I have to," I chuckled and he smiled softly, "We can move past this, please," he got up and settled on his knees in front of me, "Please give me another chance and I promise you won't regret it." he brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it. Warmth enveloped me and I was awestruck at the difference I felt between his kiss and Damon's. Damon's kiss was hot like fire but Ben's was warm like a summer breeze. It washed over me with comfort and excitement.

I slid out of my seat and sat in front of him on my knees. He grabbed my face and kissed me passionately. I kissed him back and felt all the familiar sensations return with a gust of pleasure. My hands wandered his body and found the buttons of his jeans. He got up suddenly knocking my hands away. Before I could say anything he flung me over his shoulder, eliciting a giggle from me, and threw me on the bed. After he settled on top of me he gazed endearingly into my eyes. Smiling, I asked him what he was looking at.

"I can't believe I was so stupid," he said, his voice thick with emotion. My eyes teared up and I placed my hand on his face, tracing circles on his cheek with my thumb.

"Me too," I said and laughed. We chuckled and stared at each other, "I forgive you, Ben. Here's to new beginnings." I said and pulled him down to kiss me. He plucked the shirt over my head and kissed my stomach sending electric shocks across my skin. His lips returned to mine and I started to unbutton his shirt.

When we finally came up for air we were back on the floor the sheets of the bed wound around our naked bodies. I laid with my head on his chest listening to his racing heart beat. I missed this more than I thought. Sex was an amazing stress reliever.

"That was…" Ben was at a loss for words and I merely nodded. It was mind blowing.

When my phone rang I groaned. I didn't want anyone to ruin this perfect moment. He chuckled and reached to grab it from the night stand. He didn't give it to me when I reached for it and answered using an exaggerated robot voice.

"I'm sorry but Laura cannot come to the phone right now please call again later," he said and hung up. I rolled my eyes and giggled. He chucked the phone under the bed and rolled me over so he was on top of me kissing my neck. It was his turn to groan when the phone started ringing shrilly again from where he threw it.

I answered without looking.

"Hello," I answered it, trying to keep my voice controlled as Ben's kisses trailed lower and lower.

"Laura," Damon spoke from the other end and I froze. I sat upright, gently nudging Ben's head away.

"Damon," I breathed into the phone. Ben's head came up, his usually gentle face settling into a frown. Holding up a finger, I quickly got up, hurrying to the bathroom. I closed the door behind me.

"I see you've already replaced me," he said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

"There's nothing to replace, Damon," I murmured, rolling my eyes.

"Listen," he continued, ignoring me, "You have to be careful who you invite in. There a psychopathic bitch vampire running around chopping people's fingers off."

"Wait, what?" all irritation bled away and fear took its place.

"Yes, so don't let any strangers enter your place... No matter how handsome," I could hear him smirking at the other end. I just hung up on him hoping he assumed I got the message.

I stood in the bathroom for a second trying to gather my thoughts. I still had the vervain perfume Jenna gave me. I decided to put it on and also pour a little out into a glass. I filled it with water and took it to Ben. He was sitting up right, waiting for me with a questioning look on his face. I gave him the water and he grimaced a bit after swallowing it. The water was obviously not enough to disguise the taste of the perfume.

"So…" he said and looked pointedly to my phone.

"Yeah… that was the guy," I said and also took a sip of the water. The alcohol of the perfume tasted awful but at least we had some form of protection.

"What did he want?" Ben asked and avoided my eyes. I put the glass down with a smirk on my face.

"Ben Walters," I said and straddled him. He placed his hand on my hips, "Are you jealous?" he shook his head, "Well in case you are… He is in love with someone else. He has no time for me," even as I said it, I found myself a little disappointed but pulled myself together. Here I was in the arms of the man I love and the best part was that he loved me back.

It was late afternoon when I suggested we get food. We threw on clothes and headed down the stairs where we ran into Mason and, for some odd reason, Elena.

"Hey, Elena," I said in surprise. The look of confusion on her face lasted only a minute before she smiled.

"Hey," she said and we stood in awkward silence for a while. I glanced at Mason and he grinned back.

"What are you guys up to?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, we're just headed to the Mayor's memorial service," Elena said. She patted Mason's arm sympathetically, "Mason here is his brother and he asked me to give him a lift, didn't you?" she gave him a smile. A strained smile graced Mason's sunburnt face. I nodded and smiled tightly, wondering why she was acting so strange. They hastily greeted us and Ben and I made our way to the car.

"That was really weird," I said and started my car.

"Elena is Jenna's… niece?" Ben asked. When we were catching up I told him about Jenna and her ward. I nodded slightly and drove off.

I didn't give it another thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guys, sorry for the wait on this one. I had to completely rewrite it and so it took a long while before I liked it enough to put out. Hope you guys like it and stay tuned for the next part. It should be up quite soon.


	11. Pulled Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura wakes up after a breathtaking day with Ben, only to find an intruder in her room.

> _Stood on the cliffside_  
>  _Screaming, "Give me a reason"_  
>  _Your faithless love's the only hoax_ _I believe in_  
>  _Don't want no other shade of blue b_ _ut you_  
>  _No other sadness in the world would do_
> 
> _Hoax - Taylor Swift_

There was a weird sound next to me. It was a gurgling, sputtering sound. I frowned and turned around. The pipes must be acting up, I thought groggily and tried to ignore it. The wet sound continued and with a particularly violent gurgle I felt something wet splatter on my face.

I froze and my breathing hitched. There weren't any pipes near my bed. My breathing came in short panicked bursts and I slowly opened my eyes.

My breathing stopped completely when I saw Ben's blood covered face staring at me in sheer terror. The moonlight streaming in from the window washed his face to a silver glow, the blood staining it pitch black. Ocean blue eyes washed out to grey…

He whimpered and blood streamed out of the wound on his neck.

I screamed. Long and piercing.

A hand came down and slashed at his throat again cutting off the choking and his eyes went dull.

"NO!" I screamed and reached out to him, my hands fluttering over his body, unsure of what to do. I sobbed and looked up at the person the knife wielding hand was attached to. I sprang up in surprise tripping over my clothes and sheets that still laid on the floor.

"E-Elena…" I stuttered. It was Elena. Her hair was still curled from the parade, a smirk on her face. Blood drops sat like rubies on her face and her hands glinted in the moonlight. Wet with Ben's blood.

"Try again, sweetheart," she said softly and advanced. When I didn't say anything she grunted in annoyance, "Ugh, it's Katherine. The better, sexier doppelganger." The knife dropped to the floor as she carelessly tossed it over her shoulder. I scrambled away from her as she appraised me, her dark eyes glinting with malice.

"Hmm," she tilted her head, continuing her approach. I tried to take another step backward but my back hit the wall, "I wanted to see Damon's little pet for myself," she said thoughtfully as if she was talking to herself more than she was talking to me.

"I am _not_ Damon's pet," I spat out, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh, but you are," she said her voice cold, "He even warned you of the big bad vampire in town," her voice was sarcastic. Damon's call from the previous day came back to me.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to steady my voice. My eyes kept flicking to Ben's motionless, blood covered body. Grief clawed at my chest as I took in the growing stain on the bed. Katherine brought up her hand and licked her fingers. Her eyes closed in pleasure and my body heaved with disgust.

"See, I want Damon and Stefan all to myself," she said, "You are just a silly, killable human. I don't know what Damon sees in you," she sounded bitter.

"You're jealous?" I asked incredulously, my legs shaking as I laughed. What a joke. She's jealous of me when Elena exists, the person both of the brothers would die for, "Sorry to waste your time but Damon feels nothing for me."

"I don't think so," she said, her eyes narrowing, "While you were cuddled up with Mr. Blue Eyes here, he was frantically calling you every second he could." she tilted her head, "Why on earth would he do that if he didn't care?"

I shook my head in denial. My eyes strayed from her to look at Ben's body again. The growing stain on the bed was black in the moonlight. Tears streamed down my face.

"Aw, sorry about that," she said, not sounding sorry at all. Her high heel clad feet came to a standstill in front of me. "Didn't want any loose ends, you know?"

Something glinted in her hand and I realised she had the knife again. My heart raced in my chest and I glanced around, frantically trying to find a weapon.

"I would tell you this will be quick… but it won't," she snarled and grabbed me by the neck. I heard a faint sizzling sound as her flesh met with the vervain perfume that still clung to my neck. She didn't flinch. I gasped for breath and clawed at her fingers in vain as she dragged me to the middle of the room. As she flung me to the floor my cheek ricocheted off the hardwood and I moaned in pain, stars erupting behind my eyes.

_Escape, Laura!_

A voice screamed in my head. I started crawling to the door but I knew it was futile when she grabbed my ankle. A desperate grunt escaped my clenched teeth and I grasped the leg of a table, kicking wildly behind me. My hand slipped off the leg and she pulled me effortlessly away from the door.

"Let's start with that pretty face of yours," the vampire growled and pinned me to the floor with her knees. I screamed and struggled, shaking my head back and forth. She easily grasped it and held it still.

A searing hot pain slashed across my face and I saw red.

"That should do it," Katherine murmured, sitting back to appraise her work. I was too shocked to scream. She placed the blade of the knife at the base of my throat and slowly pushed it into my skin dragging it down my chest slicing my abdomen open. A little grin stretched on her face as she did it.

My body convulsed and I saw black spots clouding my vision.

Warmth spilled from my stomach and flowed down my body onto the carpet.

Through my tunneled vision I saw her licking the knife, her fangs scraping the blade.

Tears streamed down my face in ribbons and I watched as she got up and walked to the door, leaving without a backwards glance.

"Ben," I choked and managed to twist my body into a position where I could crawl.

I made slow progress as my blood streamed out of my body. The blood left a thick streak behind me as I painstakingly made my way to his side. My hand stretched out to his, glinting black in the moonlit room. It dropped before I could touch him. A small whimper escaped my blood stained mouth showering the carpet with small droplets of it.

As the darkness pooled around me and blood got into my eyes from the cut on my face I started to hear a faint ringing in my ears.

I turned onto my back and stared at the ceiling as my body twitched and convulsed in agony.

All I could think of was my family. How I would never see them again. The grief of losing them enveloped me in a stifling weight and I gasped for air, clinging dearly to life. Blue eyes shone in the darkness above me and I knew it was Ben, his hand held out to me.

" _It's ok Laura,"_ he whispered to me and a small smile settled onto my face. Tears streamed out of my staring eyes, " _You'll be ok,"_ his voice was far away but I could see his ocean blue eyes beckoning me.

I closed my eyes and let the crushing weight of death settle on my battered body.

~

Damon's head was spinning with everything that had happened. Regret and grief threatened to pull him under but he forced it down determined to keep his promise to himself.

Jeremy's limp body hitting the ground was all he could see when he closed his eyes. His ears rung with Elena's piercing screams and he grit his teeth.

A roar of frustration burst from his chest and he flung his glass where it shattered over the fireplace. The broken pieces clattered on the stone floor.

" _It's not my fault you snuck up on me,"_ Laura's soft voice came back to him and he had to sit down as he remembered the look on her face when she saw him kissing Elena… Katherine pretending to be Elena.

" _You're not human,"_ His eyes clamped shut as tears threatened to spill over. Her blue eyes were so sincere, soft and undeniably human. He couldn't stay away from her. He knew he should. She deserved normalcy.

And then he kissed her without _thinking._

Everytime he thought of her lips his dead heart twinged with longing.

Drawing a shaky hand through his hair he wondered if he should call again. To make sure she was all right. He was worried Katherine might have heard his conversation with Laura earlier, warning her against the vampire. The more he thought about it the more he panicked. He decided against calling and sped to his car.

When he arrived at the guest house Laura stayed, he smelled her. Katherine had been here. He hissed and sped to the door stopping to listen for threats. Two heart beats reached his ears. One steady and rhythmic and the other stuttering, frantic, asif trying to preserve the last few moments of life. Panic clawed at his chest and in an instant he was in her room.

The intoxicating smell of blood was overwhelming. His fangs withdrew involuntarily and he took a moment to compose himself as he took in the scene.

A man was in the bed, his throat a mangled piece of flesh glinting with blood. Unmistakably dead. Damon's eyes travelled down to where Laura lay staring at the ceiling. Her face was smeared with blood and tears. On her lips was a small smile. He hurried to her side, his body stilled as he saw her heart twitching halfheartedly. The wound stretched from her collarbone to her navel, her insides protruded in a grotesquely, her heart exposed underneath the broken sternum.

In a panic, he clenched his teeth down hard on his wrist and held it insistently to her mouth. There was no response, her lips already cold. The tears he had held onto finally spilled and his head hung as he sobbed over her destroyed body. He gently took her upper body and pulled her close to his chest, her head lolling slightly as it came to rest on his shoulder. Placing a cheek on her bloodstained forehead he couldn't help but wish he had never met her. Then she never would have had to die like this.

"It's ok, Laura," he whispered, wishing he hadn't had so much to drink. His voice slurred, "You'll be ok," her body shook as the last struggling breaths escaped her.

"I'm sorry for all of this," he whispered, stroking her hair, "You deserved so much better."

He held her as her last breaths struggled to exit her body. As her heart thudded one last time he cradled her to his chest sobbing silently into her hair. He looked down at her and saw her blue eyes wide and bright in death. A shaky hand gently closed them.


	12. Blackout

> _And if I only could  
>  I'd make a deal with God  
> _ _And get him to swap our places_
> 
> Running Up That Hill – Meg Myers

It was all bright, white light.

Vague shapes flitted past in blurred streaks.

Series of images flashed sporadically through my brain.

Blood.

Knife.

Blue eyes.

"You're a monster!"

"Monster."

MONSTER.

Breath rushed into my lungs and I gasped. Pain flared in my head and body. I groaned.

Cursing, I touched my chest, prodding it gently. It felt bruised…

I froze, my hands clutching my heart.

The knife slicing cleanly through my skin came back to me in a vague, smoggy memory. I frowned, fidgeting with the shirt that barely covered my chest.

It was dark where I woke up. I laid on a narrow bed, staring up at a flickering fluorescent light. It didn't do much to lighten up the room. As my eyes roamed the dungeon like cell, I became aware of an overwhelming scent in the room. My mouth abruptly started watering.

I sat up trying to identify the smell. Looking around I couldn't see the direct cause and frowned. Where could it be coming from? A lumpy shape covered in a white shape caught my eye. It was carefully placed on the only other cot in the room. The white of the tarp covering it was covered in large red splotches. Dread crawled into my limbs as I approached it, dimly realising that it was the source of the amazing smell.

I lifted a shaky hand and pulled the sheet away.

A scream ripped through my body. The sound was unlike any other I had ever mustered and it burned my throat like fire as it erupted out of my mouth.

"BEN!" I screamed and collapsed on his body. His skin was grey and his eyes sunken. He was dead, his throat a bloody mess, "No, no, no," I chanted over and over.

I barely noticed when someone barged in. Raised voices echoed in my head in meaningless circles but I could only see him and his blue eyes. I clutched at his shirt and wailed into his shoulder.

Hands gently tugged me away from his body but I swatted them away, grabbing onto Ben's shoulders, shaking his stiffening body harshly. When the screams halted with a choked sob the hands came down again, tentatively prying my fingers from his shirt. A ringing started in my ears as I let the hands lead me away. A thick fog settled on my shocked brain, clouding my thoughts and vision.

"Laura," I heard a voice coming through it. I blinked my eyes sluggishly trying to recognise the person the voice belongs to. My breathing was hollow and echoed through my head.

"Laura!" the voice called again and this time it was more clear. My eyes focused and I saw Damon, shock written across his perfect face. I looked around and saw Alaric standing behind him looking like he'd seen a ghost. My eyes travelled further and I saw Stefan a ways back and behind him…

"GET HER AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed and tried to get up. Damon gripped my shoulders firmly and I squirmed in his grip, not taking my eyes off Katherine. The woman who murdered me.

"Laura, look at me," Damon hissed, "Look at me," I forced myself to look into his baby blue eyes, "That's not Katherine, it's Elena." Katherine… Elena stood behind Stefan clutching his arm. Worry and shock etched into her face.

"But… How?" I asked dumbly, my body slumping back into the couch.

"Katherine is Elena's great, great, great times like 50 Grandma," Damon said simply, the shock still hasn't worn off his face. I realised how I must look, smeared in blood and dirt. I looked at my hands, they were covered in dry caked blood. Shuddering, I looked down and saw my shirt ripped down the middle, barely covering my breasts. I folded my arms around my body.

"Laura, what happened?" Damon asked urgently.

"I don't know," I said, my voice trembling, "I woke up and Ben was dead and she… she was just standing there with a knife… and then she said she wanted you to herself and… she killed me didn't she?"

"Yeah…" he trailed off, his eyes flickered to my chest. I wondered what it must've looked like when he found me.

"Damon," Stefan spoke in a low voice, "That's the point. Katherine killed her… how is she alive?"

"Because I gave her some of my blood to heal her hand," Damon said without taking his eyes off me. My body went cold. I died… with Damon's blood in my system. Was I a vampire?

Elena gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Wouldn't it have been out of her system by then?"

"Clearly it wasn't, Stefan," Damon spat out and turned to look at him, "I did try and heal her when I found her but I doubt that helped at all… She was basically…" he trailed off, frowning as he tried to control his face.

I curled into a ball and felt Alaric put a consoling hand on my shoulder. I realised then I had a pounding headache. My eyes scrunched closed on their own accord and I pressed my fingertips to my tempes.

"What are we going to do?" I heard Elena whisper from the other end of the room.

"She has to choose, we can't force her to turn or not to turn," Damon murmured. The word turn made my body break out in a cold sweat. I shivered and opened my eyes again. They were all staring at me.

"Laura, let's go somewhere more private," Damon said gently, "Then you can take a shower as well." I nodded and he took my hand and led me to his room.

"I'm sorry, Laura," he said when he placed me on his bed.

I didn't know what to say. It wasn't his fault that Katherine had done this but… If he had left me alone… if I had left him alone all of this could've been avoided. I could have left here with Ben. We could've started over somewhere else…

"It's not your fault," I said, my voice monotonous. I picked at the flaked blood on my hands wondering how long it will take to get everything clean.

"It is actually," he whispered, his voice pained, "This could've been avoided if I had just… stayed away from you like you wanted-"

"Damon, please just… just don't," I muttered, the pain in my head seared behind my eyes, "Can I please take a shower?" He nodded and I got up. My reflection in the mirror told a grim story. There was not a single inch on my body not covered in blood. The shirt I was wearing when I was murdered hung around my shoulders like a jacket, having been ripped down the middle when Katherine butchered me. Blood crowded the ragged edges of the shirt and clung to my skin. I cringed as I pulled it off my skin. My body was perfectly fine, considering the trauma it had endured and I pondered what it might have to face next as I let the warm water pour down my body.

The water broke the blood up fairly easily and when I looked in the mirror afterwards I could see no trace of what had happened to me.

I wandered out of the bathroom in my towel. The thought of putting my destroyed clothing on my body again filled me with disgust. I was grateful when Damon handed me a black shirt.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked him after I had changed. I sat down on the bed, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to my chest. He stood by the window with his hands in his pockets.

"If you want to complete the transition, you have to drink human blood," he explained slowly, "If you choose not to drink blood… you'll…" he cleared his throat, "You'll die."

He turned around and our eyes met. His blue eyes were clouded with worry and regret.

A million different scenarios sprung up in my head. I could take the blood and live eternally but I would risk ending up like Stefan. Animalistic, out of control. Or, I could choose to die. The thought came with a bout of fear for my family, my friends. What would that do to them? Even so, would I be able to stick around and live unchanged as they all die?

"Whatever you choose…" Damon said and sat down next to me, "I'll help you every step of the way."

"If I don't drink blood… how long…?" I couldn't bear to finish the sentence. He gripped my hand tightly.

"A day."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. It was extremely bright in Damon's room. The sun shone brilliantly through the gauzy curtains.

The choice I had to make hung like noose above my head. In my mind vampires were the bad guys. They were the villains. Even Damon with his casual disregard for human life.

But… my heart wrenched with anguish as I thought of never seeing Bella again… or Scarlett. I thought of their grief when they found out that I had died. I wonder what Damon would make it look like. Would it be quick? Like going to sleep? Or would it be a long drawn out process. Damon said I had one day… how would it end if I decided to die?

Would it be selfish to die? Leaving Bella, Charlie and Scarlett with only a body and a bunch of questions? Don't I owe them more?

But they were all human. With human lives that will inevitably end. I imagined that if I chose to complete the transition I would have to stand by, idly watching as my life disappeared and I lived on. Unchanging. Plagued by grief and regret.

I realised I was hungry. My stomach growled loudly. It was odd though. The hunger made my gums itch and ache and I gritted my teeth in discomfort. I was vaguely aware of Damon speaking to someone at the door of his room but I sat motionless considering the gnawing hunger I felt. It expelled every other thought from my mind.

"Elena brought coffee," Damon said and placed the cup down next to the bed.

"Thanks."

"If... I die tonight…" I started and busied myself with taking a sip of the coffee. I grimaced, it tasted horrible, "Why does this taste like toilet water?" I said, distracted by the taste.

"That's part of the transition," Damon smiled ruefully and took the cup from me.

"If I die… would it be quick?" I finished my thought from earlier.

"I don't know," he said softly, "What I do know is that if you want me to… I could end it…" he murmured.

"Why did Katherine do this?" I asked, overwhelmed with grief. She had ruined my life in the span of 20 minutes. Tears welled up in my eyes and I found myself sobbing into the pillow I was holding. Ben deserved a full life. One where he could die when it was his time…

"Because she's a selfish bitch," Damon muttered, "I knew her when I was human… She was cunning and sly. Even back then when Stefan and I gave our lives to save her… She didn't care. The other night she reappeared, not only getting me to kiss her but also stabbing Uncle John."

"I thought it was Elena at first too," I let out a strangled, macabre laugh. My stomach growled again and I stopped laughing.

"Want to get something to eat?" Damon asked and I nodded. We went down to the parlour where the rest were still sitting. They greeted me tentatively as Damon headed to the kitchen. I sat down next to Stefan and crossed my legs.

"Hungry?" he asked sympathetically.

"Ravenous." I said and smiled numbly.

The silence grew longer as we listened to Damon bustle in the kitchen. Then it was pierced by an enraged roar.

"LAURA," it echoed from outside the house. All of us froze, our heads spinning in the direction of the front door. Damon barged into the parlour, clutching a forgotten bread slice in his hand. Alaric got up, brandishing a wooden stake that I hadn't seen before this moment.

The door flung open, bouncing off the wall with a boom and the rest of us sprang up, some in fear, others in defense.

Edward burst through the door, his eyes dark and smoldering with fury.


End file.
